Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1993, Qupperneq 105

THE LEAFHOPPERS (HOMOPTERA, AUCHENORRHYNCHA) OF THE FAROEISLANDS
109
Javesella pellucida hibemates in the
adult stage. Breeding plants as well as
food-plants are grasses: Avena sativa and
Lolium perenne being preferred as oviposi-
tion plants; each female produces from 500
to 1000 eggs. So far Javesella pellucida has
only been found in two localities, which
also happen to be old Norse settlements, so
a human introduction is a definite possibil-
ity. However, with Lolium perenne being an
ingredient in the grass-mixtures used for
lawns, there seem to be many possible sites
in the future, certainly Javesella pellucida
can be found on most lawns in more south-
em latitudes; it is widespread in Europe in-
cluding Norway, Scotland and Iceland.
Streymoy: Kirkjubøur, 5 July 1989 (P.Ketil)
Eusturoy: Lamba, 26 July 1989 (P.Ketil)
CICADOMORPHA, Cercopidae
2. Philaenus spumarius (L.), Figs. 5-8.
Distribution map, Fig. 43.
1--------1
1 mm.
Fig. 5: Philaenus spumarius (L.) female
Suðuroy, Sumba - 2 September 1992
Fig. 6: Philaenus spumarius (L.) male
Streymoy, Kaldbak - 23 August 1992
The common “Meadow Spittle-bug” Phi-
laenus spumarius is extremely variable es-
pecially further South. On the Faroe Islands
it is usually more or less khaki-coloured
with indistinct markings (f. typica, Fig. 5).
At Sumba on Suduroy we found some very
pretty specimens: f. leucocephala (Fig. 8).
The larvae are light green and are hiding in-
side the well-known “cuckoo-spit”. Phi-
laenus spumarius feeds primarily on herba-
ceous plants, but the list of host-plants is
long, exceeding 1000 plant species. In the
Faroes Philaenus spumarius is found on the
lush vegetation in the “infield”, mainly in