Pennitsa alder - unusual nests for posterity

The family of pennies belongs to the subcategory of cicadas. From the next of kin, they differ in small size, wing structure, the presence of a shield and the absence of chirping. Adults lead an unremarkable lifestyle. They suck plant sap in meadows, gardens and parks. Dark, squat, inconspicuous on branches and stems. The larvae are much more interesting; to protect them from the effects of weather and enemies, they create a foamy mass around themselves. The alder pennies cicada lives throughout Russia, from European borders to the Primorsky Territory. The insect harms apple orchards and strawberries.

Morphological description of the species

Pennitsa (slobber) alder (Aphrophora alni) - one of the species of the family of pennies of the order homoptera. Insects belong to the suborder cicadaceous, have signs characteristic of these insects. Drooling hibiscus hind legs, wide head, stocky body. But there are significant differences - the transparent front wings of the cicadas have been replaced by leathery ones, the size of pennies is smaller.

Body length 8-10 mm, females larger than males. Adults are flattened, the head is wide, triangular in shape. On the sides of the head are a pair of convex compound eyes and two simple eyes. The oral apparatus is a piercing-sucking type. The proboscis is located at the rear edge of the head. The keel runs along the midline of the head and pronotum. The color is grayish-brown. Elytra with oblique light band at the base and near the apex. The upper body is covered with hairs. Elytra and pronotum punctate. The shield is flat. There are several spikes on the shins of the hind legs.

Distribution area

Alder pennice is found in Europe, in North Africa and the Middle East. In Russia, it belongs to common species, lives in the central and European parts of Siberia, Khabarovsk and Primorsky Krai, in Transcaucasia. Insects are found in Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia, artificially brought to North America, where they bred in large numbers.

Lifestyle and close views

Cicadas prefer warm and humid places. Insects settle on the edges of forests, clearings with bushes, in hedges. In the mountains, they are found at an altitude of up to 1500 m. Adult individuals live and feed on trees: willow, poplar, alder, and birch. In the garden they eat on fruit trees (apple trees). Adults prefer deciduous trees, and the larvae are dicotyledonous herbaceous plants. Adults are agile and timid, in case of danger they fall from branches to the ground. This type of pennies is not dangerous for agriculture.

Related species

According to the morphological features of adults, two types of cicadas are close:

• Penny drooling (Philaenus spumarius) is one of the most harmful insects of cereals and berries, grapes, fruit trees. Adults 5-6 mm long; brown, black or gray. Active from May-June, dying off with the first frost. It features a wide, stocky body structure.
• Linear Pennitsa (Philaenus lineatus) is a 5–7 mm long cicada common in Europe, North Asia, and America. Insects are found in large quantities, harm gardens in hot countries.

Propagation Features

The breeding season of drooling women falls at the end of summer - the beginning of autumn.Fertilized females fly off the trees and lay eggs in the lower part of herbaceous plants. Clutch is 30 small eggs covered with female secretions. The eggs are left to hibernate. Adult larvae appear in May. They creep along the fodder plant and arrange a protective canopy in the form of a lump of foam. This feature gave the name to the whole family. Small larvae have soft integuments that dry quickly without protection. Foamy mucus moisturizes them and hides them from predators.

In the process of feeding on succulent plants in the body of the larvae, a lot of moisture is formed. It is excreted through the anus. The presence of mucin in the secretions contributes to the formation of a viscous consistency. The flow of air through the posterior spiracles insects foams mucus. As a result, lumps similar to saliva appear in different parts of the plant. Larvae pass 5 ages and 4 molt. Outwardly, they look like parents, but completely devoid of wings. Larvae have eyes, proboscis and short antennae. Their development takes from three to seven weeks. During this time, the lump of foam regularly resumes.

Information. Alder slobber - an insect with incomplete transformation; in its development there is no pupal stage.

The offspring turns into adult winged individuals in June-July. They stop sucking grassy crops and fly away to the alder and willow shoots. Imagoes feed on trees and shrubs before frosts. In autumn they give life to a new generation. One generation of insects is replaced per year.