Cercopidae

views updated

Cercopidae (frog-hoppers, spittlebugs, cuckoo-spit insects; order Hemiptera, suborder Homoptera) Family of homo-pterans in most species of which the nymphs live on the shoots or roots of plants and produce a protective mass of froth around themselves. Adults of some species have several different colour forms, and some species are pests of crops or pasture plants. There are about 2500 species, distributed world-wide.