Twolined Spittlebug

How to identify it

• Adults are about 1/3 inch long, dark brown to black and wedge-shaped, with two red or orange stripes across the wings, red eyes and red legs.^[1][2]
• Nymphs are cream to yellow or orange with a brown head and red eyes, hidden in a white frothy spittle mass near the base of grass plants.^[1][2]

Where it lives

NC State reports it as a growing turf pest, especially in eastern North Carolina, and Clemson covers it in South Carolina lawns.^[1][2]

US map: public records from 27 states since 1990 (GBIF). View the map

Biology and life cycle

Eggs overwinter in grass stems, under leaf sheaths and in debris; most hatch in March and April in South Carolina.^[1][2]

Nymphs feed for about a month, a full life cycle takes about two months, and there are two generations a year, with adults appearing in June and peaking in August and September.^[1][2]

Adults hide in hollies and shrubs by day, are most active at night and may come to lights.^[2]

Damage and signs

• Nymphs suck enough fluid to build their spittle that grass turns yellow, then brown, and severe infestations can kill turf; heavily infested lawns can squish underfoot.^[1][2]
• Adults distort and discolor young holly leaves and stipple grass blades; second-generation damage is usually more serious.^[2]

Health risk

None to people or pets.^[1][2]

Control

Prevention

Check for nymphs by parting the grass near the soil line, especially in July, and recheck after treatment since reinfestation is quick.^[1][2]

Sanitation

Damage is worst where thatch is thick, so dethatch and topdress when appropriate.^[2]

Pesticides

If treatment is needed, aim it at the nymphs late in the day, when they are higher on the plants.^[1][2]

Common questions

What is the white foam in my lawn?

Spittle masses made by twolined spittlebug nymphs feeding at the base of the grass.^[1][2]

Which lawns get twolined spittlebugs?

Centipedegrass and St. Augustinegrass are preferred, especially with heavy thatch.^[2]

Are the black bugs with orange stripes on my holly the same insect?

Yes; the adults feed on holly and other shrubs.^[2]

Sources

1. NC State Extension, “Twolined Spittlebugs in Turf (TurfFiles).” content.ces.ncsu.edu/twolined-spittlebug-1-in-turf (accessed 2026-10-15)
2. Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center, “Two-Lined Spittlebug (HGIC 2488).” hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/two-lined-spittlebug/ (accessed 2026-10-15)
3. iNaturalist, “Prosapia bicincta taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/126291 (accessed 2026-10-06)