The spittlebug is a nymph: an insect in its juvenile state. This creature is a curious insect that covers itself with a foamy spit-like substance. The spittlebug feeds on plant sap and it consumes more then it needs for food, so the extra sap gets mixed in with other substances in the insect’s body. Then it releases the foamy mixture from its abdomen and makes a ball of “spit” around it.
The foul tasting foam covering conceals the spittlebug from the sight of predators, moisturizes the insect, and keeps the spittlebug at just the right temperature. There the protected spittlebug stays until it becomes a froghopper, the champion jumper of insects!
