European Alder Spittlebug

European Alder Spittlebug

Aphrophora alni

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Toronto

In 3 days ~10%

5 Verified sightings at Toronto
120 In all 7 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the European Alder Spittlebug

Aphrophora alni, the European alder spittle bug, is a species belonging to the family Aphrophoridae. This species is quite common and widespread. It is present in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm, in the Near East, and in North Africa. It is naturalized in North America.

These 'froghoppers' inhabit dry and moist habitats of lowlands and mountainous areas, forest edges, hedgerows, meadows, gardens and parks, from the lowlands up to mountains at an elevation up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) above sea level.

The adults of these large 'froghoppers' reach 9–10 millimetres (0.35–0.39 in) of length, the females are usually slightly larger than the males. The basic coloration of the body is usually brown. Their front wings wear two distinct clear patches on the margins. Head and pronotum have a median keel. The head has a pair of compound eyes and two simple eyes (ocelli). The legs are strongly developed and fit to jump. Tibiae of the rear pair of legs carry several spines.

They can be encountered from May through October on bushes and on several species of trees, especially willows (Salix species), birch (Betula... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
~10%
2 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
3 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
4 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
5 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
6 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
7 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
~10%
2 Kharkiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
~10%
3 Leeds 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
4 Brussels 🇧🇪 Belgium
~10%
5 Paris 🇫🇷 France
~10%
6 Copenhagen 🇩🇰 Denmark
~10%
7 Manchester 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
8 Stockholm 🇸🇪 Sweden
~10%
9 Essen 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
10 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a European Alder Spittlebug in Toronto?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a European Alder Spittlebug sighting in Toronto on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1544th most-seen of the 1689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a European Alder Spittlebug in Toronto?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a European Alder Spittlebug in Toronto on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a European Alder Spittlebug?

Between 1 and 4 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most European Alder Spittlebug sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Toronto the best place to see a European Alder Spittlebug?

23rd of 23

Of the 23 cities where we can rate European Alder Spittlebug sightings, Toronto ranks 23rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Helsinki (Finland, about 10%), Kharkiv (Ukraine, about 10%) and Leeds (United Kingdom, about 10%).

Where does the European Alder Spittlebug sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the European Alder Spittlebug is recorded against all the insects logged in Toronto (5 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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