Spittle bug nymphs hatch, in early spring and find a host plant. They attach to that plant with a thing called a stylet. They then form a frothy white mass. The pale green nymphs live inside this mass of spittle and like aphids and treehoppers, have piercing-sucking mouthparts. They suck the juices from the plants, usually during the development of the plant’s first bloom cycle, in early spring making the plant look sick then causing the plant to die. They stay inside their protective froth until they're mature. The adults are jumpers that resemble leafhoppers in appearance and habits, but they are more robust. They are shaped like katydids, but much smaller. Their colors range from yellowish to greenish to brownish. They are found on just about every type of plant from corn and strawberries to conifers and meadow grasses.