Here’s one that has shown up on a Track and Sign Eval that I took. The Spittlebug in it’s nymph stage feeds on the juices of plants and also produces the “spittle”, or white bubbles you see in the above photo. The spittle is plant juices mixed with a wax from the bug that cause the bubbles to last for hours. This spittle surrounds the nymph that’s attached to the plant stem and provides it with a protected place to mature. The spittle is renewed continuously until the nymph has matured and leaves.
The particular eval that this came up on, the evaluator pulled the plant stem up and removed the nymph so we could see it. A very strange looking insect, but a very cool survival strategy.
Now hopefully when your out next time and you see this sign you know what it is.
Marks on the Trail 