Scissor Grinder Cicada vs Pine Spittlebug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Scissor Grinder Cicada Pine Spittlebug
Scientific Name Neotibicen pruinosus Aphrophora cribrata
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Cicadidae Aphrophoridae
Size 33-40 mm 9-12 mm
Habitat Woodlands Farmland
Diet Wood Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Scissor Grinder Cicada

A large North American annual cicada with a buzzing call resembling a grinding wheel. Its body is coated in a whitish waxy pruinose layer.

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Did You Know?

Its common name comes from the call's resemblance to the sound of a knife sharpener at work.

Pine Spittlebug

A large spittlebug that feeds on pine and other conifers, producing masses of froth on branches. Heavy infestations can cause branch dieback in young pine plantations.

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Did You Know?

A single nymph can produce several milliliters of spittle per hour by pumping air into excreted xylem fluid.