Ever pass by a pine tree and think that someone
has just spit into the foliage? Well, unless you
have unruly neighbors, it is probably just an insect
called the spittlebug. In its immature form, small,
green, soft-bodied creatures cluster together in
leaves and stems. To protect themselves, they exude
a mass of bubbles all around them.
The adult, which is rarely seen, and the nymphs
both feed by sucking juices from the plant.
Spittlebugs are most notable in the spring when the
young nymphs are freshly growing.
