Kingdom Animalia Suborder Auchenorrhyncha Genus Ptyelus Phylum Arthropoda Order True bugs | Class Insecta Family Cercopidae Scientific name Ptyelus grossus Rank Species | |
 | ||
Similar True bugs, Peltophorum africanum, Tipuana, Peltophorum, Cercopidae | ||
Ptyelus grossus is a Auchenorrhynchan spittlebug in the family Cercopidae. Occurring from Southern Africa through to West Africa, the species is gregarious in its larval and nymph stages, feeding on a variety of plants, and producing protective nests of acrid foam from the plant's sap. Excreted in large quantities, the foam drips incessantly causing wet patches on the soil below.
Adults have slate-grey wings, each wing with two white and yellow patches near the outer margin. The head is white, rounded with large dark eyes and small black and yellow marks on the forehead.
Favoured trees are Tipuana, Peltophorum and Lonchocarpus, although its catholic diet includes species of Grevillea, Rhus, Acacia, Vangueria and even Eucalyptus.
Nymphs are preyed upon by the gorytine wasp Pseudoplisus natalensis, the drosophilid fly Leucophenga maculata and other carnivorous insects.