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Identification:
Spittlebug adults are about 3/8 inch long, dark brown or black, and have two orange stripes across their wings. The nymph is ivory-colored with a brown head. They live inside masses of spittle or froth, hence the name "spittlebug."
Life Cycle and Diagnosis:
Orange-colored eggs are deposited in bits of hollow stems and other debris. Nymphs hatch in about two weeks and begin to feed immediately by sucking juices from the grass. They cover themselves with a frothy mass known as spittle. There may be one or several nymphs in each spittle mass. The masses are found from just below the soil surface to a few inches above it. A heavily infested area will feel "squishy" when you walk across it due to numerous spittle masses. Centipede grass is especially prone to spittlebug infestation and populations often begin and increase in shady areas. In Georgia there are 2 generations of spittlebugs each year.
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