By Will G. Hudson
University of
Georgia
The two-lined spittlebug is an increasingly common pest of
Georgia turf grasses. It will feed on all turf grasses, but it
hits centipede turf especially hard.
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Both adults and nymphs feed on the plants by inserting their
needle-like beaks into the stem and sucking out the juices. This
causes the grass to yellow, wither and die if it goes
unchecked.
The symptoms are similar to the damage caused by chinch bugs.
But
spittlebug adults are much more mobile. The damage tends to be
spread out, rather than concentrated.
Spittlebugs overwinter as eggs in plant stems, under leaf
sheaths
or in plant debris.
It’s not spit
Nymphs hatch in the spring and begin feeding. They exude a
white,
frothy mass around them that resembles spittle. It serves to
protect the nymphs from drying out and from natural enemies.
The nymphs feed for about a month before becoming adults. Adults
live for about three weeks and lay eggs for the last two weeks
of
that time. The eggs take two weeks to hatch in the summer. Two
generations hatch each year.
Adult two-lined spittlebugs are about a quarter-inch long and
black to dark brown. They have two bright, red or orange lines
across their wings. Nymphs resemble small, wingless adults.
They’re white to yellowish orange with red eyes and a brown
head.
Early damage symptoms will look like yellow spots of dead or
dying grass. With heavy infestations, these spots may overlap to
form large areas of dead turf.
Can’t hide
The nymphs are easily detected. Just look on the grass stems
near
the soil surface for their distinctive spittle masses. Adults
fly
readily when disturbed and can be flushed from the grass by
walking through affected areas.
It’s been reported that spittlebug adults can damage a variety
of
ornamental plants, too, particularly during late summer and
fall,
when populations are at their highest levels. The ornamental
plants they prefer include hollies, asters and morning glory.
Spittlebug infestations can be controlled with several commonly
available turf insecticides. Use plenty of water to apply the
insecticide. This volume is easily achieved with a hose-end
sprayer, but not with a hydraulic sprayer pulled behind a lawn
tractor.
Contact your county University of Georgia Extension Service for
recommendations.
Take steps to reduce the buildup of thatch. Nymphs need high
humidity to survive. Turf with excessive thatch is much more
likely to provide them the conditions they need.
Following good turf management practices, too, can make
infestations or reinfestations less likely.
(Will Hudson is an Extension Service entomologist with the
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.)
