Classification: | Phylum: Arthropoda | Class: Insecta | Order: Hemiptera | Family: Aphrophoridae | Genus: Ptyelinellus |
I had previously named this bug as Philaenus leucophthalmus (Meadow Spittlebug). It seemed that this name was a synonym of Philaenus spumarius. In December 2015, I received a note from Les Day that Meadow Spittlebug was not supposed to be found in this region. In May 2016, Les wrote again to share with me on the identity of this spittlebug that he had uncovered and the source indicated that this spittlebug was found in Malaysia.
In May 2015, a mass spawning of this spittlebug was observed on a Sea Hibiscus (Talipariti tiliaceum). The saliva-like foam found on the plant was likely to be the protective cover for the nymph of this Spittlebug. The foam was produced by the nymph from plant sap. Besides offering protection, the foam also kept the nymph's body moist.
In April 2017, another mass spawning of this spittlebug was observed. This time round, it was on a Jackfruit Tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus).