Aphrophora salicina is distinguished from other species in this genus by its unicolorous wings, pointed head, and distinctive male genitalia (Fig. 1; Tishechkin 2023). First introduced in North America before 1921 (Metcalf & Barber 1929), this spittlebug has since exhibited limited dispersal in North America (Hamilton 1982). It remained primarily confined to Massachusetts (USA) based on open-source and validated citizen science observations (BugGuide 2024; iNaturalist 2024) and collection data (GBIF.org 2024; Harvard University 2024). This distribution pattern contrasts with the rapid spread of A. alni across eastern North America from the middle 20th Century onwards (Moore 1956). Six A. salicina individuals were collected in an exploited gravel area in Pintendre, south of the city of Lévis (QC, Canada). All Canadian specimens were obtained by beating live branches of Salix interior Rowlee growing at the base of a sandy-gravelly hill. This seems to support the species’ preference for willow trees in North America. 

This discovery highlights a significant distribution gap in A. salicina distribution in North America, as it is nearly 450 km northeast in a straight line of its most northern distribution in Massachusetts (Fig. 2). This gap likely results from limited surveying of this insect group in Quebec and Canada. Hamilton (1982) anticipated the potential expansion of this aphrophorid species into southern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. Moreover, the host plants of this species, black willow (Salix nigra Marshall) and meadow willow (Salix petiolaris Smith), identified by Metcalf & Barber (1929) in North America, are both present in Quebec. The introduction of this spittlebug in Canada might also be attributed to human-assisted transportation, considering the species’ historically low dispersal (Moore 1956). Further surveys focused on host plants in the vicinity of large cities may also clarify whether the species is widespread in southern Canada or exists as an isolated population in the country.