Philaenus spumarius
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 2 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 6 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 9 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 12 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 14 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 15 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Budapest | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 8 | Lyon | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 9 | Anchorage | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Meadow Spittlebug sighting in San Francisco on a given day, based on 70 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 190th most-seen of the 737 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Meadow Spittlebug in San Francisco on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
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.
28th of 31
Of the 31 cities where we can rate Meadow Spittlebug sightings, San Francisco ranks 28th at under 5%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 20%), Birmingham (United Kingdom, about 20%) and Manchester (United Kingdom, about 10%).
Same order: Hemiptera
The closest relatives of the Meadow Spittlebug that you can see in San Francisco (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are Large Milkweed Bug (about 10%), Oleander Aphid (about 10%) and Small Milkweed Bug (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Meadow Spittlebug is recorded against all the insects logged in San Francisco (70 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.
