Just wanted to share another fun video. I have seen this behavior before.
I wonder if there is any value more than just moisture?

https://vimeo.com/424993854

He was quite intent and actually spent several minutes doing this. He was
even interrupted once or twice but came back and to continue his drink.

Jeff Fast
www.MineralMovies.com <http://www.MineralMovies.com>
(860) 985 - 6321

This is outstanding. I had no idea. It looks like it primarily is going for fluid. And not probing deeply into the spittle to get closer to the nymph..

I wonder if the froth is sugary? I bet not, otherwise ants would be interested.

Thanks for sharing.

Dave

From: Leps-l [mailto:leps-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of jeff@mineralmovies.com
Sent: Monday, June 1, 2020 10:24 PM
To: leps-l@mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Leps-l] Megisto cymela sipping spittlebug spit

*Message sent from a system outside of UConn.*

Just wanted to share another fun video. I have seen this behavior before. I wonder if there is any value more than just moisture?

https://vimeo.com/424993854<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F424993854&data=02%7C01%7Cdavid.wagner%40uconn.edu%7Cc69cfd4844424116a2c908d8069c0e1d%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C637266614616830887&sdata=q6RHgLZ6zNko6HgoNJYQYMdGuMaIUYJs7XN6LqjlE%2Fk%3D&reserved=0>

He was quite intent and actually spent several minutes doing this. He was even interrupted once or twice but came back and to continue his drink.

Jeff Fast

www.MineralMovies.com<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mineralmovies.com%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cdavid.wagner%40uconn.edu%7Cc69cfd4844424116a2c908d8069c0e1d%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C637266614616830887&sdata=chMnZ0M9LpvAD6%2Bd8JPgDZZotUKM8NVJwazWdX4sLtw%3D&reserved=0>

(860) 985 - 6321

I forwarded this observation to Vinton Thompson, who works on Cercopidae.
He sent me the following paper. Of course the spittle is likely to vary
depending on host plant species. But I thought you all would find this
interesting. Using this title to search on Google Scholar brings up a
number of interesting articles on cercopid spittle.

del Campo, M.L., King, J.T. and Gronquist, M.R., 2011. Defensive and
chemical characterization of the froth produced by the cercopid Aphrophora
cribrata. *Chemoecology*, *21*(1), pp.1-8.

Abstract: Nymphs of the cercopid Aphrophora cribrata cover themselves with
a frothy exudate while ingesting sap from their preferred host plant, the
eastern white pine, Pinus strobus. Chemical analyses of froth collected
from A. cribrata nymphs revealed an array of metabolites belonging to five
chemical classes, including fatty acid-derived alcohols, c-lactones and a
single 1-monoacylglycerol, as well as the polyol pinitol and the
polyhydroxyalkanoate, poly-3-hydroxybutyrate. Bioassays showed the natural
A. cribata froth, as well as a synthetic mixture comprised of
representative compound classes identified therein, to be repellent to ants
but largely devoid of topical irritancy in tests with cockroaches.

Pete
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
*SF Chronicle - The Regulars (video)
<https://www.sfchronicle.com/thetake/article/Insect-expert-eases-bias-against-bugs-13731033.php>*

Peter T Oboyski, PhD
Executive Director
Essig Museum of Entomology
1170 Valley Life Science Building
University of California, Berkeley

<essig.museum@gmail.com>https://essig.berkeley.edu
510.643.0804 (work phone)
essig.museum@gmail.com
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

*Help support the Essig Museum by donating at *
*https://give.berkeley.edu/essig <https://give.berkeley.edu/essig>*

On Mon, Jun 1, 2020 at 7:24 PM <jeff@mineralmovies.com> wrote:

> Just wanted to share another fun video. I have seen this behavior before. I
> wonder if there is any value more than just moisture?
>
> *https://vimeo.com/424993854* <https://vimeo.com/424993854>
>
> He was quite intent and actually spent several minutes doing this. He
> was even interrupted once or twice but came back and to continue his
> drink.
>
> Jeff Fast
>
> *www.MineralMovies.com* <http://www.MineralMovies.com>
>
> (860) 985 - 6321
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leps-l mailing list
> Leps-l@mailman.yale.edu
> https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/leps-l
>

What a wonderful study. I was about to ask what the satyr might have been seeking that wouldn’t attract ants – an ant-attracting spittlebug nest would = suicide. Thanks for sending. This provides some useful indicatrions.

Rick Cech

From: Leps-l <leps-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Peter T Oboyski
Sent: Wednesday, June 3, 2020 8:34 PM
To: jeff@mineralmovies.com
Cc: leps-l@mailman.yale.edu
Subject: Re: [Leps-l] Megisto cymela sipping spittlebug spit

I forwarded this observation to Vinton Thompson, who works on Cercopidae. He sent me the following paper. Of course the spittle is likely to vary depending on host plant species. But I thought you all would find this interesting. Using this title to search on Google Scholar brings up a number of interesting articles on cercopid spittle.

del Campo, M.L., King, J.T. and Gronquist, M.R., 2011. Defensive and chemical characterization of the froth produced by the cercopid Aphrophora cribrata. Chemoecology, 21(1), pp.1-8.

Abstract: Nymphs of the cercopid Aphrophora cribrata cover themselves with a frothy exudate while ingesting sap from their preferred host plant, the eastern white pine, Pinus strobus. Chemical analyses of froth collected from A. cribrata nymphs revealed an array of metabolites belonging to five chemical classes, including fatty acid-derived alcohols, c-lactones and a single 1-monoacylglycerol, as well as the polyol pinitol and the polyhydroxyalkanoate, poly-3-hydroxybutyrate. Bioassays showed the natural A. cribata froth, as well as a synthetic mixture comprised of representative compound classes identified therein, to be repellent to ants but largely devoid of topical irritancy in tests with cockroaches.

Pete

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SF Chronicle - The Regulars (video) <https://www.sfchronicle.com/thetake/article/Insect-expert-eases-bias-against-bugs-13731033.php>

Peter T Oboyski, PhD
Executive Director
Essig Museum of Entomology
1170 Valley Life Science Building
University of California, Berkeley

https://essig.berkeley.edu

510.643.0804 (work phone)

essig.museum@gmail.com <mailto:essig.museum@gmail.com>

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Help support the Essig Museum by donating at

https://give.berkeley.edu/essig

On Mon, Jun 1, 2020 at 7:24 PM <jeff@mineralmovies.com <mailto:jeff@mineralmovies.com> > wrote:

Just wanted to share another fun video. I have seen this behavior before. I wonder if there is any value more than just moisture?

https://vimeo.com/424993854

He was quite intent and actually spent several minutes doing this. He was even interrupted once or twice but came back and to continue his drink.

Jeff Fast

<http://www.MineralMovies.com> www.MineralMovies.com

(860) 985 - 6321

_______________________________________________
Leps-l mailing list
Leps-l@mailman.yale.edu <mailto:Leps-l@mailman.yale.edu>
https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/leps-l

Similar to puddling in seeking moisture. Nice … adds to the concept of puddling in that the seeking of moisture is not a 1-dimensional set of behaviors seeking out only puddles.

Joe Kunkel
-·. .· ·. .><((((º>·. .· ·. ..><((((º>·. .· ·. .><((((º> .··.· >=- =º}}}}}><
Joseph G. Kunkel, Research Professor
122C/125 Pickus Center for Biomedical Research
Marine Science
University of New England
Biddeford ME 04005
http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/ <http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/>
> On Jun 3, 2020, at 8:51 PM, rcech@nyc.rr.com wrote:
>
> What a wonderful study. I was about to ask what the satyr might have been seeking that wouldn’t attract ants – an ant-attracting spittlebug nest would = suicide. Thanks for sending. This provides some useful indicatrions.
>
> Rick Cech
>
> From: Leps-l <leps-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Peter T Oboyski
> Sent: Wednesday, June 3, 2020 8:34 PM
> To: jeff@mineralmovies.com
> Cc: leps-l@mailman.yale.edu
> Subject: Re: [Leps-l] Megisto cymela sipping spittlebug spit
>
> I forwarded this observation to Vinton Thompson, who works on Cercopidae. He sent me the following paper. Of course the spittle is likely to vary depending on host plant species. But I thought you all would find this interesting. Using this title to search on Google Scholar brings up a number of interesting articles on cercopid spittle.
>
> del Campo, M.L., King, J.T. and Gronquist, M.R., 2011. Defensive and chemical characterization of the froth produced by the cercopid Aphrophora cribrata. Chemoecology, 21(1), pp.1-8.
>
> Abstract: Nymphs of the cercopid Aphrophora cribrata cover themselves with a frothy exudate while ingesting sap from their preferred host plant, the eastern white pine, Pinus strobus. Chemical analyses of froth collected from A. cribrata nymphs revealed an array of metabolites belonging to five chemical classes, including fatty acid-derived alcohols, c-lactones and a single 1-monoacylglycerol, as well as the polyol pinitol and the polyhydroxyalkanoate, poly-3-hydroxybutyrate. Bioassays showed the natural A. cribata froth, as well as a synthetic mixture comprised of representative compound classes identified therein, to be repellent to ants but largely devoid of topical irritancy in tests with cockroaches.
>
> Pete
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> SF Chronicle - The Regulars (video) <https://www.sfchronicle.com/thetake/article/Insect-expert-eases-bias-against-bugs-13731033.php>
>
> Peter T Oboyski, PhD
> Executive Director
> Essig Museum of Entomology
> 1170 Valley Life Science Building
> University of California, Berkeley
>
> https://essig.berkeley.edu <https://essig.berkeley.edu/>
> 510.643.0804 (work phone)
> essig.museum@gmail.com <mailto:essig.museum@gmail.com>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Help support the Essig Museum by donating at
> https://give.berkeley.edu/essig <https://give.berkeley.edu/essig>
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 1, 2020 at 7:24 PM <jeff@mineralmovies.com <mailto:jeff@mineralmovies.com>> wrote:
>> Just wanted to share another fun video. I have seen this behavior before. I wonder if there is any value more than just moisture?
>> https://vimeo.com/424993854 <https://vimeo.com/424993854>
>> He was quite intent and actually spent several minutes doing this. He was even interrupted once or twice but came back and to continue his drink.
>> Jeff Fast
>> www.MineralMovies.com <http://www.mineralmovies.com/>
>> (860) 985 - 6321
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leps-l mailing list
>> Leps-l@mailman.yale.edu <mailto:Leps-l@mailman.yale.edu>
>> https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/leps-l <https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/leps-l>_______________________________________________
> Leps-l mailing list
> Leps-l@mailman.yale.edu
> https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/leps-l