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| Bug hunt: Volunteers needed to spot insect's 'spittle' | Bug hunt: Volunteers needed to spot insect's 'spittle' |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Ever seen a blob of foam on a plant and wondered how it got there? | Ever seen a blob of foam on a plant and wondered how it got there? |
| The frothy spittle, sometimes called cuckoo spit, is actually a telltale sign that an insect known as the spittlebug is feeding on a plant. | The frothy spittle, sometimes called cuckoo spit, is actually a telltale sign that an insect known as the spittlebug is feeding on a plant. |
| Scientists are calling for thousands of volunteers to help record sightings of spittle and spittlebugs across the UK. | Scientists are calling for thousands of volunteers to help record sightings of spittle and spittlebugs across the UK. |
| The information will be used to map the distribution of the insect, in a pre-emptive strike against a deadly plant disease. | The information will be used to map the distribution of the insect, in a pre-emptive strike against a deadly plant disease. |
| Xylella has struck several EU countries, blighting olive groves in southern Italy. The UK is clear of the disease but is on high alert. | Xylella has struck several EU countries, blighting olive groves in southern Italy. The UK is clear of the disease but is on high alert. |
| There are a huge number of plants the Xylella bacterium could affect, from garden plants like the rosemary and lavender to the oak, said Dr Rebekah Robinson, senior plant pathologist at the Royal Horticultural Society. | There are a huge number of plants the Xylella bacterium could affect, from garden plants like the rosemary and lavender to the oak, said Dr Rebekah Robinson, senior plant pathologist at the Royal Horticultural Society. |
| "Xylella has 563 different host plants worldwide, so it affects a huge range of different species," she told BBC News. | "Xylella has 563 different host plants worldwide, so it affects a huge range of different species," she told BBC News. |
| "One of the really devastating things that could happen is that it could actually affect our native tree species as well, things like oak trees, a number of different ash species, sycamore - key plants in our landscape." | "One of the really devastating things that could happen is that it could actually affect our native tree species as well, things like oak trees, a number of different ash species, sycamore - key plants in our landscape." |
| Scientists are calling for volunteers to record where and when they've seen spittle or spittlebugs, in gardens, meadows, grasslands and woodlands. | Scientists are calling for volunteers to record where and when they've seen spittle or spittlebugs, in gardens, meadows, grasslands and woodlands. |
| Facts about the spittlebug | Facts about the spittlebug |
| Source: RHS | Source: RHS |
| The results will be used to map the distribution of the insect to better understand how Xylella might enter and spread in the UK. | The results will be used to map the distribution of the insect to better understand how Xylella might enter and spread in the UK. |
| Dr Alan Stewart, Reader of Ecology at the University of Sussex said we need to learn as much as we possibly can about what kinds of plants they feed on, what habitats they occupy, and where they are in the country. | Dr Alan Stewart, Reader of Ecology at the University of Sussex said we need to learn as much as we possibly can about what kinds of plants they feed on, what habitats they occupy, and where they are in the country. |
| "So, ultimately, if the worst possible happens, and the disease does arrive in Britain, we'll be able to make some really good predictions about how it's likely to spread and how quickly." | "So, ultimately, if the worst possible happens, and the disease does arrive in Britain, we'll be able to make some really good predictions about how it's likely to spread and how quickly." |
| What is Xylella? | What is Xylella? |
| Xylella fastidiosa arrived in Europe six years ago, devastating olive groves in southern Italy and spreading to other countries in the EU, including parts of France and Spain. | Xylella fastidiosa arrived in Europe six years ago, devastating olive groves in southern Italy and spreading to other countries in the EU, including parts of France and Spain. |
| The disease is caused by a bacterium which is moved from one plant to another by plant-sucking insects such as the spittlebug. | The disease is caused by a bacterium which is moved from one plant to another by plant-sucking insects such as the spittlebug. |
| Other stories you might like: | Other stories you might like: |
| According to experts, Xylella is one of the most dangerous pathogens worldwide. | According to experts, Xylella is one of the most dangerous pathogens worldwide. |
| If found in the UK, all host plants within 100m would need to be destroyed and there would be immediate movement restrictions on some plants within a 5km radius for up to five years. | If found in the UK, all host plants within 100m would need to be destroyed and there would be immediate movement restrictions on some plants within a 5km radius for up to five years. |
| You can report sightings at https://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/xylem-feeding-insects. | |
| Further information about the survey and the insects can be found here. | Further information about the survey and the insects can be found here. |
| Please note that it may take some time to access the links to report sightings due to a high volume of traffic. | |
| Follow Helen on Twitter. | Follow Helen on Twitter. |