froghopper

[frog-hop-er, frawg-]

noun

1. any of numerous leaping, homopterous insects of the family Cercopidae, which in the immature stages live in a spittlelike secretion on plants.

froghopper

/ ˈfrɒɡˌhɒpə /

noun

1. Also called: spittle insect.  spittlebug. any small leaping herbivorous homopterous insect of the family Cercopidae , whose larvae secrete a protective spittle-like substance around themselves

Word History and Origins

Origin of froghopper¹

First recorded in 1705–15; frog ¹ + hopper

Example Sentences

“Spittlebug” is a term that refers to the immature stage of insects often called froghoppers.

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Spittlebugs are in a class of insects called froghoppers.

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To show the power of the froghoppers’ suction, Dr. Matthews, Elisabeth Bergman, a master’s student he advised, and Emma Green, an undergraduate volunteer, examined the insects’ morphology and tested their metabolic abilities in 2019.

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More than 11,000 sightings of the spittlebug, or froghopper, have been recorded across the UK, with the south of England proving a stronghold.

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Eventually the spittlebugs retreat into one large bubble and undergo a transformation to emerge as froghoppers.

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