SPITTLEBUGS

INSECT AND DESCRIPTION: Leafhoppers and Spittlebugs [Family Cicadellidae and Cercopidae]. Many species of leafhoppers, small wedgeshaped insects, suck the sap from leaves and stems of grass. Symptoms include a bleaching or drying out of the grass. New fairways, golf greens, lawns and other turf areas may be seriously damaged so that reseeding or resprigging is necessary.
Spittlebugs attack clovers and grasses. They suck juices from leaves and stems, especially in areas with dense growth and heavy mats of thatch. The spittlebug nymphs live within a mass of white froth or "spittle" which is found on the plants. These insects are usually controlled when thatch is removed.

CONTROL: Control measures are seldom necessary except on newly established turf.