What Is It?

1. I look like a mass of white foam.
2. But these bubbles are actually my home.
3. They will keep me safe from my foes …
4. ...Until I can fly on my own.

What Is It?

Spittlebug

Baby spittlebugs are famous for hiding in what looks like foamy masses of spit. But this mass is a nest, which protects them from predators and parasites. It also keeps them cool when it’s hot and moist when it’s dry. To produce the foam, the babies hang upside down on a stem and blow plant sap out their behinds. Gravity pulls the “spit” down over them. Eventually, they exit the foam as winged adults known as froghoppers. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/field-guide.