Life cycle Spittlebugs overwinter as egg masses on leaf stems, nodes and leaves. The eggs are white, oblong, and about 1 mm long. They hatch in early to mid-spring, releasing an orange nymph that moves to sheltered, humid sections of the plant, and begins to feed and froth. Over the next month, the nymph molts two to four times, turning yellow, then green. The nymph finally molts to an adult in late May or June, emerging from the froth.
Adults continue to feed through the summer, migrating to new hosts as foliage dries out.
In late August to September, females lay 18 to 51 eggs on plant stems. The egg masses consist of rows of eggs glued together with froth. There is only one generation each year. Habits Adults hop, but do not usually fly, and can usually be found when disturbing tall grasses in meadows. Nymphs, and their froth, can be found on stems of many types of plants and grasses, usually on newer growth.