Spittlebug Nymph
Category: Nature
Photo and caption by Lesley Roy
I exposed this colourful little creature, an Aphrophoridae, from its hiding place to see what it looked like. Like others of its kind it sucks the xylem sap from the plant and mixes it with air and a sticky glandular secretion it produces. The bubbles it creats come from its abdominal tip which you can see clearly in the photo. These frothy shelters keep it moist and hidden from predators.
Location: Morinville, Alberta
