Meadow Spittlebug

Meadow Spittlebug

Philaenus spumarius

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

20 Verified sightings at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]
317 In all 17 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Meadow Spittlebug

Philaenus spumarius, the meadow froghopper or meadow spittlebug, is a species of insect belonging to the spittlebug family Aphrophoridae. In Italy and America, it is economically important as one of the vectors of Pierce's disease (Xylella fastidiosa).

Philaenus spumarius is quite common and widespread. The species' original distribution was restricted to the Palearctic realm. They are present in most of Europe, in North Africa, in part of Russia, in Afghanistan, and in Japan. They have also been introduced in North America.

This is a very eurytopic species, meaning that it can tolerate a wide range of environmental factors and exist in many different habitats (parks, meadows, gardens, etc.). It lives in almost all open land habitats and in open forests. It is absent only in very wet and very dry habitats.

The species reaches a body length of 5–7 millimetres (0.20–0.28 in). Most females are slightly larger than males. In these polymorphic insects, the coloration of the body is very variable (about 20 different color varieties are known). Usually, they are yellowish, brownish, or black, with brighter patches on a dark background, but also with... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
2 Vanoise National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
3 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
5 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
6 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
7 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
8 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
~10%
9 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
10 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
11 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
12 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
13 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
14 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
15 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
16 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
17 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
2 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~20%
3 Manchester 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
4 Leeds 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
5 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
6 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Budapest 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
8 Lyon 🇫🇷 France
~10%
9 Anchorage 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Meadow Spittlebug in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Meadow Spittlebug sighting in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 293rd most-seen of the 672 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Meadow Spittlebug in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

June

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Meadow Spittlebug in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months. That is one of Minneapolis [Saint Paul]'s wettest months, with about 130 mm of rain against 20 mm in January.

What time of day is best to see a Meadow Spittlebug?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Meadow Spittlebug sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Minneapolis [Saint Paul] the best place to see a Meadow Spittlebug?

27th of 31

Of the 31 cities where we can rate Meadow Spittlebug sightings, Minneapolis [Saint Paul] ranks 27th at under 5%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 20%), Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 20%) and Manchester (United Kingdom, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Meadow Spittlebug live in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Same order: Hemiptera

The closest relatives of the Meadow Spittlebug that you can see in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are Eastern Boxelder Bug (about 20%), Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (about 20%) and Four-Lined Plant Bug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Meadow Spittlebug sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Meadow Spittlebug is recorded against all the insects logged in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (20 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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