| Alder Spittlebug (Aphrophora alni (Fallén, 1805)) |
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Scientific name: Aphrophora alni (Fallén, 1805) Common name: Alder Spittlebug Other names: European Alder Spittlebug French name: Cercope de l'aulne, Aphrophore de l'aulne. Order: Hemiptera Family: Aphrophoridae Wingspan : 9-10 mm. Biotope: On many trees, shrubs and bushes including Alders, Willows, Poplars, etc. Geographic area: Nearctic region: Europe, Asia, North America. Observation period : May to October. |
Insects of the Cercopidae family and of the Aphrophoridae family differ from those of the Cicadellidae family by the lack of red markings on the fore wings. Members of the Aphrophoridae family show the same width for head and pronotum while the head is thinner on members of the Cercopidae family. You can recognize the Aphrophora genus by the presence of a median keel on the vertex and the pronotum. You can identify the Alder Spittlebug species with the two pale spots touching the costal edge on the fore wings. The first one is sometimes curved and extends towards the pronotum. The second one, sometimes less visible, draws some kind of a half-disc shape. The eggs are hidden inside some kind of foam secreted by the Alder spittlebug (this is typical to many species of Spittlebugs). |
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Here is one upper side view showing all the identification criteria of this species. |
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Same specimen as above but with a better view on the pale patches on the fore wings. |
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I think that the pale spots on the fore wings indicate the Alder Spittlebug species. |
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These Alder Spittlebugs went down to my strawberry plants to mate. You can clearly see that the head is the same width as the pronotum and you can notice the presence of a median keel (better visible on the froghopper on the right). The pale spots on the fore wings indicate the Alder Spittlebug species. |
André Bon October 2019
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