European Alder Spittlebug

European Alder Spittlebug

Aphrophora alni

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Wadden Sea National Park

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

6 Verified sightings at Wadden Sea National Park From 2019 to 2026
120 In all 7 parks
July 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 Wadden Sea National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a European Alder Spittlebug sighting in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 699th most-seen of the 818 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 European Alder Spittlebug in Wadden Sea National Park?

July

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a European Alder Spittlebug in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months.

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.

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 Wadden Sea National Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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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