Tube Spittlebug

Description:

A small female tube spittlebug resting on the tube created perhaps by its nymphs. The tube looked like a concrete horn with dried-up spittle along the tree branch at the opening of the tube. The female spittlebug has a green head and thorax with dark tinted wings.

Habitat:

Spotted on a young eucalyptus tree in a botanical garden ( Cranbourne Gardens)

Notes:

The nymphs of these bugs live in the calcareous tubes that they build on their food plant. They stay immersed in secretions thus staying hidden from predators and safe from dehydration. This tree showed several branches with these tubes, some dripping with liquid. There were also several female spittlebugs. I did not observe any males that are usually fully dark.
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha
Family: Machaerotidae