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| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penthimia americana | A somewhat dark reddish-brown to black species, with fuscous and/or blackish coloration, and a rounded body profile. Males are blackish overall with hints of orange, especially around the scutellum. Females are orange but have a dark band across the back of the wings. The head is over half as long at the middle as the basal width of the crown between the eyes and does not noticeably project past the eyes when viewed from the side (it appears quite rounded and downcurved); the head is more of a pentagon-like shape, without a defined projecting apex. The apical wing cells and posterior parts of subapical cells are hyaline ochreous, with dark venation and dark suffusions in the central areas of these wing cells. The female pregenital sternite is slightly notched on either side of a produced posterior median lobe. Male subgenital plates are broad and triangular. Adults are 5.0-6.0 mm long. (DeLong 1942, 1948, Beirne 1956) Young nymphs are a mixture of dark and light coloration, while older nymph instars are orange (though some are darker). Nymphs have the characteristic head profile of the adults. For diagrams of this species, see: 3I. | Scattered records across the state, uncommon and infrequently encountered. | Woodlands, shrubby areas, and openings, such as cut-over areas, which have oaks (DeLong 1942, 1948) | Oaks (Quercus spp.), hickory and other shrubs (DeLong 1923); gray birch (Betula populifolia; Lowry 1933) | ||||||||
| Oecleus borealis | A small dark species with very large eyes relative to the small and slender vertex (top of the head), characteristic of this genus. The face and head are black, with edges outlined in yellow or orange; there is an orange midline on the face. The thorax is also dark with orange longitudinal lines. The abdomen is dark, as is the wing venation, and the legs are pale. See here for images of a pinned specimen. | Recorded from several counties in the Piedmont. Of the two species in this genus that may be found in NC, this is the most common and therefore the most likely to be encountered. | Probably grassy areas | Chilopsis linearis (desert willow, Bignoniaceae) (UDEL) | ||||||||
| Arundanus unidentified species | ||||||||||||
| Polyamia compacta | The vertex is yellow with fuscous marks and spots. The pronotum has brown or fuscous spots and brown vittae; the scutellum has dark spots. The forewings are yellow, with light veins and the margins of cells fuscous. The clypeus has fuscous arcs, of which one is visible dorsally. The female pregenital sternite is trilobate in shape, with a slight median projection and some dark markings on the posterior margin to either side. The male subgenital plates are longer than the pygofer and have macrosetae. Adult males are 2.5-2.9 mm long, while females are 2.5 mm; submacropterous females are 2.5-2.7 mm long. (Sinada & Blocker, 1994) For diagrams of the species, see: 3I. For images of specimens, see: BOLD. | Recorded from the state (Metcalf, 1967), but unclear from where exactly. | ||||||||||
| Laevicephalus minimus | An unmarked lemon-yellow species with pale greenish tegmina; the head is paler, with traces of two brownish arcs on either side extending from the apex toward the ocellus. The head is short in the male but moderately long in females, with the coronal margins curved and the apex obtusely pointed. The elytra is milky hyaline with the nervures yellowish, faintly bordered with fuscous (especially in the male). The female pregenital sternite has the posterior margin roundedly produced, narrowly incised in the middle with a very small rounded notch on either side; the median third of the posterior margin is black. The male subgenital plates taper to bluntly pointed tips and are almost as long as the pygofers, with each having a black spot in the middle. Adult males are 2.5 mm long while females are 2.75-3.0 mm. (DeLong, 1948; Ross & Hamilton, 1972) For diagrams of this species, see: 3I. | Recorded from the state in Metcalf (1967), but unclear from where. | Prairie-type grasslands, especially those with a matrix of Sporobolus and Stipa (DeLong, 1926) | Grasses, particularly those in the genus Stipa (DeLong, 1948) | ||||||||
| Polyamia brevipennis | A small species. The vertex is yellow with brown, fuscous marks, and the pronotum has spots and yellow or brown vittae; the scutellum may or may not have marks. The forewings are yellow with light veins, and the cells have fuscous borders. The clypeus has fuscous arcs that are not visible dorsally. The female pregenital sternite has a small median projection. The male subgenital plates are longer than the pygofer and have macrosetae; they are narrowed laterally, with concave margins, and are angulate apically. Adult males are 2.2 mm long, while females are 2.4 mm. (Sinada & Blocker, 1994) For diagrams of the species, see: 3I. For an image of a potential specimen, see: BG. | Rare, a single record from the Coastal Plain. | ||||||||||
| Polyamia apicata | A small but distinctive species, with adult males 2.5-2.7 mm long and females 2.6-3.1 mm. It has a yellow head with no vertex pattern, yellowish pronotum, and dark brown reddish wings with ivory-colored wing tips. The underside of the body is pale yellowish, and the wing venation is whitish. The male subgenital plates are broad at the bases, concavely rounding to narrow tips. The female pregenital sternite is trilobate. (DeLong, 1948;Sinada & Blocker, 1994) For diagrams of the species, see: 3I. Nymphs resemble the adults (depending on the stage), having a yellowish head and pale wing pads (when developed). Nymphs also have a yellowish tip to the abdomen and show small, white dots on much of the abdomen. (BG) | Recorded across the state where it is uncommon to locally abundant, probably more abundant and widespread in the right habitat. | Grassy areas, fields | Panicum villosissimum, probably other members in this genus (DeLong 1948) | ||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Polyamia weedi | Adults are yellowish-brown overall, marked with black and fuscous. The wing cells are a dark brown to black, with a white border. There are extra crossveins in the wing and lots of tiny cells (important characteristics); however, the number of extra crossveins and small cells varies among individuals. There are four black dots on the margin of the head, with the central pair triangular; there is also an irregular brown band between the anterior margins of the eyes. The pronotum is faintly and longitudinally striped with brown, with darker marks on the anterior edge, and the scutellum has a large dark brown to black triangular spot in the anterior corners and at the apex; the apex mark looks more V-shaped, and there are two small black dots between the anterior corner triangles. The underside of the abdomen is dark and the female pregenital sternite is broadly concave and has a darkened edge on the posterior margin, characteristic of this species. The male subgenital plates are short and broad, triangular in shape with bluntly angled apexes. Adult males are 3.0-3.1 mm long, females are 3.0-3.2 mm. (Sinada & Blocker, 1994; DeLong 1948) For diagrams of this species, see: 3I. For additional images of this species, see: BG. Nymphs are mottled yellowish-brown overall, with head markings similar to that of the adult. | Recorded across the state, typically very common where found. | Grassy, brushy, field-type areas and forest edge | Grasses | ||||||||
| Polyamia obtecta | A white to gray species with black and fuscous markings. The vertex is yellowish to whitish in color except for the black muscle arcs on the face (the two black transverse dashes near the margin of the head) that extend onto the crown; there are also some fuscous marks as well. The markings on the head are described as follows: "reflexed arcs of face, a pair of spots just back of apex, another either side of midway to eye, an irregular interrupted band, broadest at middle, between anterior margins of eyes, and an indefinite spot on either side behind band" (DeLong 1948). The scutellum has a large black spot at each basal angle (the anterior corners). The wings are a pale yellowish to white color, with some of the wing cells a grayish color with black borders. The female pregenital sternite rises abruptly from the preceding segment, with a truncated posterior margin; the lateral lobes are produced beyond the median portion as rounded lobes, and there is no median notch or excavation. The male subgenital plates are triangular, with broad bases that strongly and concavely narrow to attenuated tips. Adults males are 3.1-3.2 mm long, while females are around 3.1 mm long. (Sinada & Blocker, 1994; DeLong 1948) For diagrams of this species, see: 3I. For additional images of this species, see: BG. | Recorded across the state where it is very uncommon; probably more abundant in the right habitat. | Grassy, field-type areas, especially those with abundant broomsedge, bluestem, and rushes. | Grasses | ||||||||
| Polyamia interrupta | Adults are yellowish-brown to dark brown overall, with a yellowish-brown vertex; there is a bold, black wavy mark in front of the eyes, as well as two black spots near the tip, that contrast with the rest of the brownish marks on the vertex. The pronotum is brown, with contrasting pale yellowish-white and brown longitudinal bands; there may be some dark brown to black marks near the anterior margin of the pronotum. The scutellum is yellowish with black anterior triangles in the corners and a black circular mark in the posterior half; there are also two black marks between the anterior triangles. The wings have somewhat simple wing venation, typically lacking extra crossveins and most small wing cells that other species can have; the posterior half of the wing (the posterior half on the other side of the wing separated by a broad brown diagonal cell) has mostly large, circular/rounded brown wing cells and bold white wing venation. The female pregenital sternite is strongly and convexly produced, with rounded lateral lobes that curve much of the way to the anterior base before angling sharply to the sides. the male genital plates strongly and concavely narrow to long acute apexes. Adult males are 2.6-3.2 mm long, while females are 3.6 mm. (Sinada & Blocker, 1994; DeLong 1948) For diagrams of this species, see: 3I. | Recorded from across the state, particularly the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, where it is uncommon. | Has been found in mixed hardwood forest and brushy areas; open woodlands | Herbaceous vegetation | ||||||||
| Polyamia alboneura White-veined Polyamia | A very distinctive species, blackish overall with bold yellowish-white wing venation. Most of the cells in the wing are blackish, except for the upper two apical cells (along the edge of the wing) which are mostly white. The vertex is mostly yellowish except for some small black marks, in particular a bowtie shaped mark in the middle. The pronotum is mostly black except for pale margins and three broken longitudinal lines; the scutellum is mostly black. The female pregenital sternite is trilobate. The male genital plates are narrowed laterally, with margins concave and rounded apically. Adult males are 2.3-2.5 mm long, while females are 2.6-2.7 mm. (Sinada & Blocker, 1994) | Rare; recorded from a single county in the state. | Has been found in grassy areas, open woodland | ? | ||||||||
| Eutettix tristis | A pale, tan species with two bold black head spots. The frons is yellow with two large separated basal black spots, with oblique markings sometimes faintly indicated. The vertex is yellow with two large black spots along the anterior margin, [usually] separated by a narrow yellow line; these spots and their separation are characteristic of this species. The pronotum is yellow except for a wide fulvous to fuscous band usually covering most of the posterior half, lighter in females (this band can be light or indistinct in some specimens), and the scutellum is yellow to fulvous. The wings are semi-hyaline fulvous with white spots at the apex of the clavus, usually darkened on both sides of this spot (these spots are not always very noticeable). The wing veins are usually concolorous with the cells but may be darkened posteriorly; the apical cells are sometimes slightly infuscated. The female pregenital sternite is less than twice as wide as the length at the middle, with almost straight anterior and lateral margins and a an unnotched median lobe on an otherwise straight posterior margin. Males are 5.5 mm long, females are 6.5 mm. (Hepner 1942) | Noted in Metcalf (1967) as occurring in North Carolina, but unclear from where. A few recent records from the Sandhills and Coastal Plain. | Pitch pine/scrub oak barrens (Chandler & Hamilton 2017) and similar habitats (such as those found in the NC Sandhills) | Oak (Quercus spp.), such as scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia; Chandler & Hamilton 2017) | ||||||||
| Vanduzea triguttata Three-spotted Treehopper | This species is similar to V. arquata, with a dark brown pronotum and bold black wing venation, but there is a third mark on the pronotum, a pale/white mid-dorsal spot; hence the name Three-spotted. Adult males are 3 to 3.5 mm long while females are 4 mm. See FSCA for more. Nymphs are brown overall, speckled with white. | Uncommon and infrequently encountered. Seasonal distribution: 17 June-27 September (CTNC) | Lespedeza sp. (CTNC); also reported from Eupatorium capillifolium, alfalfa, oaks, Helianthus, Psoralea tenuiflora, Melilotus spp. (BG) | |||||||||
| Texananus rufusculus | A large robust, reddish-brown species. The vertex is one-fourth longer in the middle than next to the eyes. The overall color is yellowish reddish-brown irrorations, and the anterior border of the vertex is ivory yellow. The female pregenital sternite is broadly rounded laterally with a pair of median, rounded teeth separated by a small narrow notch. The male subgenital plates are long and triangular, with bluntly pointed apices. Adults are 7-7.25 mm long. (DeLong & Hershberger, 1949; Crowder, 1952) For diagrams of the genitalia of this species, see: 3I. | Uncommon to rare, a handful of recent records from the Piedmont; probably under-detected but uncommon. | Has previously been found in moist woodlands or wooded floodplain areas on rank growing herbaceous vegetation (DeLong & Hershberger, 1949). | |||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Tideltellus marinus | A characteristically very small species, being around 2.25 mm. The color overall is pale yellow to brownish, with four black spots above the margin on the vertex; the inner pair of spots are the largest. In well-marked individuals, that are four to six oblique dashes on the coronal disc. The pronotum has six faint longitudinal stripes. The elytra is a dull white to olive color, with the veins lighter and [sometimes] margined with fuscous. The face is yellowish with several pairs of fuscous arcs. The female pregenital sternite is more than twice as long as the preceding, with the lateral margins rapidly narrowed and rounded to the posterior margin, which is very slightly concave with [sometimes] traces of a small median tooth; otherwise, the sternite is relatively straight. The male subgenital plates are triangular and broad at the base, and concavely rounding to sharp, divergent, upturned black apices. Adult males are 2.0-2.5 mm long, while females are 2.3-3.0 mm. (DeLong, 1926; Kramer, 1971) For images of a specimen, see: BG. | Rare, known from a single record from the Coastal Plain. Probably undetected throughout the region, especially based on its habitat. | Grassy mats on the seashore between the high and low tide lines. Also found in prairie grasses and other grassy habitats. (DeLong, 1926; Kramer, 1971) | Fine-leaved grass (Kramer, 1971) | ||||||||
| Angulapteryx texana Striated Lanternfly | A very distinctively colored species, nothing else resembles it. A pale mottled gray to tan color overall with a bold, broad black transverse band extending from the head down the pronotum and scutellum. The wings have pinkish cells, and the pattern overall is reticulated/mottled. The legs are bicolored, both black and tan. The dorsum of the abdomen is black proximally and reddish apically. Adults are around 18-21 mm long, approaching an inch. Nymphs are reddish-brown with greenish wing pads and a broad white midline on the thorax. The head is a characteristic rounded lobe. For more information on the description of this species, see: Bartlett et al., 2025. For additional images of this species, see: BG. | Uncommon to rare, with several records from the Piedmont; this species is likely a recent arrival in the state. | Has been found in open woodland forest. | Woody plants; Juniperus virginiana, J. deppeana (Bartlett et al., 2025) | ||||||||
| Poblicia fuliginosa Sumac Speckled Lanternfly | A dark species, almost black in color, with small white speckling on the wings. The head is short but broad and has a yellow margin to the flat edge; the eyes are equal in separation or broader than the pronotum, but not exceeding the width of the closed forewings (UDEL). The thorax and anterior abominal segments are black, while the posterior abdominal segments (most of the abdomen) are a bright red: see here. A large species, adults are 8-17 mm long. For more on the description of this species, see: Bartlett et al., 2025. Nymphs have a vertex (top of the head) that, in the 5th instar stage, is at least 8 times wider than long. Nymphs are grayish overall, with blackish legs, a dark brownish thorax, and a whitish abdomen and head that contrasts with the darker body. There are bumps/spike-like projections across the body. (T. Hagerty) | Uncommon to rare, not encountered frequently; recorded from a handful of counties in the eastern Piedmont and Coastal Plain. | Often found in clear-cut areas, such as roads and powerlines; can also be found in semi-forested areas (T. Hagerty). | Rhus spp., especially Rhus copallinum (winged sumac, Anacardiaceae). Also reported from Abrosia trifida and Acer rubrum. (Bartlett et al., 2025) | ||||||||
| Aligia modesta | Fulvous overall, with a pair of tawny spots near the apex of the vertex and a pair of oblique marks inside the basal angles. The pronotum is faintly irrorate with tawny color. The elytra are white, subhyaline, and tinted with reddish-fulvous, interrupted by two pale transverse bands. There is an indefinite basal band and a narrow definite one across the second cross nervature. The male subgenital plates are long and spoon shaped. The female pregenital sternite is truncate, with a broad, slightly rounded median projection. Adults are 4.5-5.5 mm long. (DeLong, 1948) For more images of this species, see: BG. | Uncommon, recorded from a few counties in the Piedmont and mountains; likely more abundant in the right habitat. | Cutover areas where oak shrubs grow (DeLong, 1948) | Oak (DeLong, 1948) | ||||||||
| Aligia meridiana | An orange, brownish species with two pale bands and two darker brown orange-brown bands on the wings. Adult males are 4.5 mm, while females are 5.5 mm. The vertex, pronotum, and scutellum are yellow-brown to orange, and the face and clypeus are yellow. The vertex is rounded, almost parallel-margined, and is about three times as wide between the eyes as the length in the middle. The tegmen of the female is semihyaline to white, with two reddish-brown crossbands that are separated by a light band about as wide as either. The males are similar, except that the anterior band covers the entire basal half of the tegmen. The wing veins for both sexes are always tawny, and the apical cells of the wings are typically infuscated. The male pygofer is broad, but truncate at the apex. (Hepner, 1939) The pregenital sternite is broadly rounded, with a slightly protruding median tooth; the median part at least is embrowned. For more images of this species, see: BG. | Uncommon, recorded from several counties in the Piedmont; likely more abundant in the right habitat. | Has been found near mixed hardwood forest edge. Noted from scrub oak/pitch pine barrens in New England (Chandler & Hamilton, 2017). | Oak and pitch pine (Chandler & Hamilton, 2017) | ||||||||
| Arundanus proprius | This species has a strongly produced, angled vertex with a bold pattern. The vertex margin is white, bordered below by a uniform black band and above by a series of black spots: there are three large triangular black spots separated from one another on either side of the vertex, with the central pair the largest. The vertex is slightly wider between the eyes than the median length. The male subgenital plates are long and narrow, bluntly pointed and divergent from one another. Adults are around 4.5 mm long (DeLong 1941, DeLong 1948). Additionally, the wings have some dark spots in wing cells, particularly one of the apical cells in males and in the claval area for females. Females, previously unknown for this species, have a pregenital sternite that has a slightly defined median tooth along the posterior margin; otherwise, the posterior margin is relatively straight. Nymphs are mottled orange/brown and white, and show black markings on the vertex that are similar to the those on the adults. For diagrams of this species, see: 3I. For more images of the species, see: BG. | Moist areas where the host plant grows. | Cane/native bamboo (Arundinaria tecta) | |||||||||
| Arundanus marginellus | A broad-headed species that is tawny to grayish in color, tinged with orange. The vertex is orange with a white margin that is bordered above and below by a black line; the above line is broader either side of the middle and tapers to a very narrow line above the ocelli. The female pregenital sternite has the lateral angles produced and rounded, with an excavation in the middle on either side of a median produced tooth that is broad; often the posterior margin has a sinusoidal, trilobate appearance. The male genital plates are long and slender, gradually tapering to narrow acute tips divergent from one another. Adults are 5.0-5.5 mm long. (DeLong 1941), (DeLong 1948) For diagrams of this species, see: 3I. For images of specimens, see: BG. | Moist areas where the host plant grows. | Cane/native bamboo (Arundinaria tecta) | |||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Texananus distinctus | This species has a striking coloration, being ivory-white marked with black or dark brown. The elytra are ivory-white with dark markings. The female pregenital sternite is usually dark and is short and slightly more than a fourth as long as wide, with the lateral margins converging strongly from the base and the posterior lateral angles prominently produced; the posterior margin is truncate with a V-shaped notch that is narrowed anteriorly near the base (DeLong & Hershberger, 1949; Crowder, 1952). The male subgenital plates are broadly rounded on the sides, bowing out before rounding at the apices; an overall squat appearance. For diagrams of the genitalia of this species, see: 3I. | Known from a couple historical records from the Piedmont; likely under-collected but rare. | Grasses of open pine woods with abundant herbaceous undergrowth (Crowder, 1952) | |||||||||
| Scaphytopius meridianus | The crown is mottled brownish, with some light markings: there is a light band before the eyes on the crown that is almost complete. The crown is slightly less than twice as long as wide between the eyes. The pronotum is pale fulvous, irregularly marked with brown and with vittae only lightly present. The scutellum and face are fulvous, with the latter mottled with brown and a light sharksmouth and vitta present behind the eye. The wings are semihyaline fulvous, with the veins and irrorations fuscous in the male and fulvous in the female. The female pregenital sternite is a little more than half as long as wide, with the latero-posterior margin rounded. Adult males are 3.8 mm long, while females are 4.7 mm. (Hepner, 1947) For images of a specimen, see: 3I. | Rare, a single record from the Coastal Plain. | ? | |||||||||
| Arundanus nacreosus | This species is distinct in color with sexually dimorphic coloration: males are a deep uniform orange while females are milk white without definite color markings. The vertex is bluntly angled, 1/3 to 1/2 wider between the eyes than in the middle. The female pregenital sternite is twice as broad as it is long, with the posterior margin excavated half way to the anterior base with a broad triangular notch, which is interrupted in the middle on either side with rounded lobes; this gives the appearance of three distinct notches. The male genital plates are longer than broad, with rounded tips that diverge slightly from one another. Adults are 5.0-5.5 mm long. (DeLong 1941), (DeLong 1948) For diagrams of this species, see: 3I. For images of this species, see: BG. | Reported from the state, but it is unclear from where exactly. | Moist areas where the host plant grows. | Cane/native bamboo (Arundinaria tecta) | ||||||||
| Arundanus crumbi | Orange-yellow overall, with a broad wavy line on the anterior margin of the vertex and four quadrate spots above this; the central pair of spots are larger. The wings are a smoky yellow-orange color, with yellow-orange venation. The female pregenital sternite is broadly and angularly excavated; note that the excavation is rounded and is broad and moderately deep. The male genital plates are elongate, gradually tapering to blunt apexes. Adults are 5.0-5.5 mm long. (DeLong 1948) For diagrams of this species, see: 3I. For nice images of an adult, see: BG. | Rare, recorded from a single county in both the Coastal Plain and Piedmont; likely more abundant in the right habitat. | Moist areas where the host plant grows. | Cane/native bamboo (Arundinaria tecta) | ||||||||
| Arundanus arundineus | A smoky brown species tinged with orange. The vertex is bluntly angled, and there is a bold white stripe along the margin, bordered with brown below and a dark brown broken line above; the latter line is composed of four irregular triangular spots. There are two bold orange longitudinal bands that begin near the margin of the vertex and extend across the pronotum to the basal angles of the scutellum. The female pregenital sternite has a broad and deep concave excavation, with rounded lobes on each side. The male genital plates are long and narrow, diverging from one another. Adults are around 4.5-5.0 mm long. (DeLong 1948) | Moist areas where the host plant grows. | Cane/native bamboo (Arundinaria tecta) | |||||||||
| Arundanus flavotinctus | Overall, this species is yellowish-orange with very faint if any color markings. The vertex is sharply angled and is 1/4 wider between the eyes than at the median length. The vertex margin is yellow and paler than adjacent areas. The wings are smokey yellow, with pale venation. The female pregenital sternite is shallowly notched. The male genital plates are short and broad, with a spot near the outer margin at the bases. Adults are around 5.5 mm long. (DeLong 1941) For diagrams of this species, see: 3I. | Moist areas where the host plant grows. | Cane/native bamboo (Arundinaria tecta) | |||||||||
| Arundanus fastigatus | Similar to A. latidens in markings and appearance, but has a more produced head and the brown band above the pale marginal band is more broken. The vertex is strongly produced and bluntly angled, a little wider between the eyes than the median length. Overall, this species is orange to brown in color. The vertex margin is white, bordered below with a narrow black line and above by an irregular/broken brown line composed of elongated spots. The wings are smoky brown with pale wing venation. The female pregenital sternite has the posterior margin truncated or sinuate. The male genital plates are long and bluntly pointed, rounded at the apex and diverging from one another. Adults are around 5.5 mm long. (DeLong 1941) | Recorded from a single county in the Coastal Plain; likely more abundant in the right habitat. | Moist areas where the host plant grows. | Cane/native bamboo (Arundinaria) | ||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Epeurysa nawaii | A generally uniform, dull brown color. The forewings are transparent to weakly embrowned, sometimes having dark markings at the apex of the clavus or along the costal margin. The abdominal segments are reddish-brown except the pygofer and gonostyli, which are dark brown. In lateral view, the head is depressed below the pronotum level, and the body has a hump-backed appearance. The pronotum is broad, being two times longer than the vertex at the midlength. The antennae are short and terete. Adult males are 3.26-3.6 mm long, while females are 3.65-3.91 mm. (Hendrix et al., 2025) | Recorded from the Piedmont; likely increasing in abundance and would be expected to occur elsewhere in the state. | Arundinaria sp. (presumably on A. tecta), A. gigantea, Chimonobambusa quadrangularis, Phyllostachys makinoi, P. bambusoides, cultivated bamboo (Hendrix et al., 2025) | |||||||||
| Pareuidella triloba | A light brown to reddish-brown species, with an unmarked face and body. This species can be both macropterous and brachypterous. The appendages at the tip of the male abdomen are a distinctive shape for this species. For images of a pinned specimen, see: UDEL. | Several records from the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. | ||||||||||
| Scaphoideus paludosus | This species is generally brown and orange. The crown is white with a thin dark brown anterior marginal line and a yellow transverse band between the anterior eye margins; the eyes are brown. The face is white with one or two dark brown lines below the crown margin, or the face is light brown with some dark brown cheveron lines centrally. The pronotum is golden yellow with a white translucent transverse central bar and posterior border. The scutellum has the anterior half golden yellow, the lateral areas darker, and the posterior half white; there is a black dot on each lateral margin. The forewings are light brown with some dark brown and translucent white areas in some cells. The abdominal terga are dorsally dark brown, and the sterna are mostly white. The male pygofer is golden yellow to brown dorsally, and the male subgenital plates are less than one a half times long as their basal width; they are white with dark brown anterior medial areas. The female pregenital sternite is roundly produced posteriorly and is overall white with a posterior medial dark brown area; the female pygofer is golden yellow with a dark brown oblique bar near the posterior third, while the ovipositor is brownish-yellow. Adult males are 4.0-5.9 mm long, while females are 5.5-6.4 mm. (Barnett 1976) | Recorded from the state previously, but clear from what part; recorded from the Piedmont according to DNA barcode data. | Swampy areas, damp well-vegetated areas (Barnett 1976). | Maclura pomifera, Impatiens pallida (main host it seems) (Barnett 1976) | ||||||||
| Scaphoideus cinerosus | A highly variable species, generally a grayish-white and dark brown color. The crown is white with a thin brown anterior marginal line around the edge and a small transverse orange band between the eyes. The face is brown with with a bold brown and cream band below the crown. The pronotum has a grayish white transverse bar above a broad transverse brown band; the apex of the pronotum is orange. The scutellum is white with two bold, dark posterior spots. The wings are grayish-white to brown with brown wing venation. The legs are yellowish white to pale brown with black spots along the sides. The abdominal terga are dorsally dark brown, laterally white, and the third sternum is brown; the remaining sterna are white, with the seventh sternum white and with the posterior medial area brown. The female pregenital sternite is whitish with a bold brown medial area on the edge; it is slightly produced with or without a posterior medial notch. Adult males are 4.7-5.3 mm long while females are 4.9-5.7 mm. (Barnett 1976) For additional images, see: BG. For diagrams of the species, including a nymph, see: 3I. | A couple records from the Piedmont; possibly under collected and more abundant in the right habitat. | Woodlands | Cottonwoods, herbaceous vegetation, birch, Pinus, Ulmus americana, Prunus emarginata, Tillia sp., Tuercus alba, etc. (Barnett 1976) | ||||||||
| Scaphoideus opalinus | Typically a gray to white species, paler than most Scaphoideus. The crown is mostly grayish-white, with a thin brown marginal area and a thin, sometimes faint orange band between the eyes. The eyes are brown to bold red, while the face is brown to golden tan with several white and brown lines below the crown. The pronotum is grayish-white, with either few markings except a couple black patches near the crown, or scattered orange-brown markings near the base and apex. The scutellum is whitish to a creamy orange color with dark brown upper corners and sometimes a reddish-orange patch in the middle. The wing color and pattern varies among individuals, but they are grayish to white with brown veins and some white, orange, and brown cells. The underside is a combination of white, brown, yellow, and gray areas; the valve is yellow and the plates are tan with an oblique brown bar. The female pregenital sternite (sternite number 7) is yellowish except for the dark brown or black posterior medial patch; there is no notch in this sternite, with the margins relatively straight. Adult males are 5.0-5.3 mm long, while females are 5.2-5.7 mm. (Barnett 1976) | Uncommon to locally abundant, recorded from across the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. | Has been recorded from mixed to open hardwood forest habitat and maritime shrub; probably found in areas where Red Cedar is present. | Various junipers, especially Juniperus virginiana (Red Cedar). Has also been taken from tall grass and pine (BG). | ||||||||
| Enchenopa on-cercis Undescribed Enchenopa on Redbud | A dark, blackish-brown species with two distinctive yellowish marks down the back. The wings are mostly concolorous with the rest of the body, with rufous-tinted tips. Sexes can be distinguished from one another by the length of the horn- in females, the horn is noticeably long and prominent, while in males the horn is much smaller, sometimes nothing more than a little nub. Egg masses are whitish in color, resembling raised shells on a stem. Nymphs are a grayish, reddish-brown color, with a small forward-facing horn and spines down the middle of the abdomen. See here for a nice depiction of the life cycle of nymphs of this genus. For more pics of this species, see: BG. | Locally common in the Piedmont where Redbud occurs, likely more abundant throughout the state. | Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) | |||||||||
| Kosswigianella perusta | A somewhat bicolored species, with a dark abdomen contrasting with a pale, tannish rest of the body. The abdomen can range in color from a dark red to blackish. At the base of the abdomen, below the thorax, there is an orange 'plate' that is easily distinguishable through the translucent wings. Some individuals can have very pale abdomens, but the overall structure is the same and the orange 'plate' is still present. The face is concolorous with the tan thorax in adults. | Has been recorded from several counties in the mountains and Piedmont, probably more abundant in the right habitat, especially lawns. | Grassy areas | Probably grass | ||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Zyginama rossi | A boldly marked leafhopper with a reddish-orange and blue color pattern. The face is mostly reddish brown. The head has a pale midline with reddish brown marks on either side on a white background. The pronotum is mostly reddish orange except for a bluish white broad midline, the posterior margin, and five anterior pale spots. The scutellum is mostly an orange brown with pale markings, though this color can vary among individuals. The color pattern on the wings is unlike any other leafhoppers in the state. The wing tips are a dark brown to blackish, and there are no crossbands on the wings. Adult males are 3.1-3.3 mm long, while females are 3.2-3.3 mm. (3I) | Recorded from several counties in the Piedmont and mountains, possibly more abundant in the right habitat. | Has been found in mixed hardwood forest habitat. | Quercus lyrata (DL) | ||||||||
| Graminella nigrifrons Black-faced Leafhopper | This species is typically greenish overall, though some individuals are brownish and/or have dark patches on the wings. There are 4 small black spots along the edge of the head, and the face characteristically has dark marks (though the darkness can vary among specimens); the underside of the body is usually blackish. In addition, there are only 2 anteapical cells on the wing, helping distinguish G. nigrifrons from other similar looking species. Adults are 2.5-4.0 mm long. The female pregenital sternite is emarginate posteriorly; the male genital plates are short, broad at the base and narrowed to acute apexes (DeLong 1948). For additional images of this species, see: 1, 2, 3, 4. Nymphs are yellowish to yellowish-brown, sometimes with an orange cast. They have faint scattered darker brown markings, particularly on the abdominal segments and thorax. | A common species, recorded across the state in all three regions. | Most common in grassy, brushy, field-type habitats but has also been found in mixed hardwood forest and forest edge. | This species feeds on corn but has been taken from a number of plant species, including Vitis vinifera, Spartina patens, Ipomoea batatas, Sorghum, Cynodon, and Gossypium. For a full list of plant associates, see: DL. | ||||||||
| Graminella villica | A brownish-yellow color overall, this species is identified by the two prominent black spots on the edge of the head, a pale yellow transverse band across the front half of the pronotum, and the narrow wings (BG). The wings are an ochre color with pale, contrasting venation. The eyes also have a rear black spot. Nymphs are a pale yellow color but show the characteristic two black spots on the head. | Recorded across the state, where it seems to be most common in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain; likely more abundant in the right habitat. | Grassy, field-type habitat | |||||||||
| Graminella sonora | A pale tan species with four bold black dots on the edge of the vertex; the two inner dots are noticeably larger than the two dots at the apex, characteristic of this species. Adults are small, around 3.0 mm long or smaller. The combination of the coloration and pattern, together with the small size, are key characteristics for distinguishing this species from others in the genus; the wing venation is also more complicated than in other members of the genus, with more small cells. The individual male genital plates are triangular in shape, with sharp apexes that are divergent from one another. The female pregenital sternite has a moderate, rounded excavation on the medial half of the posterior margin, with a slight convex tooth in the middle and convex lateral margins to the sternite; the excavation is bordered with brown. For diagrams of this species, see: Zahniser. | Recorded from primarily the Coastal Plain and Piedmont, where it can be locally common; probably more abundant in the right habitat. | Has been found in a grassy, open area near forest edge. | |||||||||
| Graminella aureovittata | Very distinctive. A pale brownish species with a pair of bold, contrasting reddish-orange longitudinal bands that transverse the vertex, pronotum, and scutellum. The wing venation is whitish. The female pregenital sternite has a deep, round excavation on the medial half of the posterior margin, bordered with brown. The male genital plates are short, broad, and rounded. Adults are around 3.8-4.0 mm long. (DeLong & Mohr 1937) For diagrams of this species, see: Zahniser. | Recorded from a few counties in the Coastal Plain, likely more abundant in the right habitat. | Has been found in open, grassy areas near forest edge and in marsh reeds; also reported from wet prairies and meadows. | Marsh reeds? | ||||||||
| Graminella fitchii | Yellow to dull greenish overall, this species has a bold contrast between the whitish wing venation and five pale transverse longitudinal lines on the pronotum and the straw-colored body and wings. There are four small black dots along the margin of the vertex, and 2 anteapical wing cells, helping differentiate this species from other similar looking species such as Deltocephalus. The face is pale, with various shades of brown, characteristic of this species. The female pregenital sternite is roundedly excavated on either side of a median slightly produced with a broad, sunken tooth. The male genital plates are long, gradually tapering to bluntly pointed apexes. Adults are around 4.5 mm long. (DeLong & Mohr 1937) For diagrams of this species, see: Zahniser. For additional images of this species, see: BG. | Recorded from several counties across the state, but likely more abundant in the state in the right habitat. | Fields and other similar, grassy habitats | Grasses. Its host is Leersia virginica, white cutgrass (BG) | ||||||||
| Graminella mohri | A yellowish, blunt-headed species that lacks dark markings. The vertex is bluntly angled, about one-third wider between the eyes than the length in the middle. The veins of the elytra are not conspicuous. The female pregenital sternite is shallowly, roundedly excavated on either side of a broad, rounded median tooth; the central half of the segment is embrowned. The male subgenital plates are short and broad, gradually narrowing to blunt apices. Adults are around 4 mm long. (DeLong & Mohr 1937) | Recorded from a single county in the Coastal Plain, likely under-collected. | ||||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Scaphoideus procerus | Generally light brown in color [in the male], with the white crown having a dark brown, apically-interrupted and reflexed anterior marginal line; the transverse brown bar between the ocelli has medial anterior production and the posterior margin has a brown medial area. The eyes are probably red, the face is yellow, and there are two complete and several incomplete dark brown lines below the crown margin. The pronotum is yellow with a the central cruciate and posterior marginal areas white. The scutellum is yellow with alternating white and dark brown areas along the lateral margin. The forewings have the anterior fourth yellow, and the veins are slightly darker. The coxae are dark brown. The abdominal sterna three to five are dark brown. The male subgenital plates are triangular, bluntly pointed at the apices, and have about four large setae along the lateral margins. The female is unknown. (Barnett 1976) | Recorded from a single county in the Piedmont. | ? | ? | ||||||||
| Scaphoideus nigrellus | This is the darkest member of this genus. This species has blackish wings (the amount of black varies among individuals, but this species looks dark to the naked eye) with rufous and bluish-gray patches. The head and thorax are also a mixture of black, bluish-gray, and yellow, and there are bricklicke black spots on the pronotum, characteristic of this species (BG). The scutellum can show three square-shaped black marks, one in each corner, with a fourth, triangle-shaped black mark in the middle. The underside of the abdomen is black while the legs are pale. Nymphs are completely black except for their pale legs. | Recorded recently from a few counties in the mountains and Piedmont, probably more abundant in the right habitat. | Has been found in brushy, grassy vegetation surrounded by forest. | Native vines | ||||||||
| Scaphoideus veterator | This species is generally light brown to brown in color. The crown is white with a dark brown medially interrupted anterior marginal line, which may be reflexed at the median break. There is a dark brown, brown or brown to mandarin orange transverse band between the ocelli, which varies considerably in outline. The eyes are brown, and the face is light brown to brown with several dark brown lines below the coronal margin. The female pronotum anterior portion is white or yellow-orange, while the posterior part is orange. The male pronotum is golden yellow. The scutellum is white, with the anterior portion having three brown quadrate areas. The female forewings are dark brown with few gray spots. The male forewings have the claval veins golden yellow, the remaining veins dark brown, and there are some brown spots in the posterior ventral area. The abdominal terga are dorsally brown, laterally yellow, and the sterna are brown. The pygofer is yellow with a dark brown oblique bar near the posterior third, and the plates are yellow with the posterior medial brownish area yellow; the ovipositor is brownish-yellow. The male subgenital plates are triangular with five or more large lateral setae. The female pregenital sternite has the posterior margin straight. Adult males are 5.2-6.2 mm long, while females are 6.2-7.0 mm. (Barnett 1976) | Recorded from a single county in the mountains; likely under collected. Rare. | Grassy, brushy areas near forest, pasture areas | Ulmus americana (Barnett 1976) | ||||||||
| Scaphoideus soleus | Dark brown overall. The crown is white with a thin dark brown, interrupted anterior marginal line. There is an orange to dark brown wavy transverse band in front of the eyes; the eyes are dark brown. The face is pale yellow, with a dark brown area under the medial half of the eyes; there are several dark brown lines below the crown margin. The pronotum is dark brown mottled with pale yellow areas with a white translucent posterior margin. The scutellum is yellowish-white with a light brown central area and dark brown to black quadrate spots in each antero-lateral margin; the posterolateral margins each have a black dot. The wings are brownish with most cells dark brown, some white translucent spots; the wing venation is also dark brown. The coxae are dark brown. The abdominal terga are dorsally dark brown, laterally white, ventrally with white anterior and brown posterior. The sterna are dark brown in some specimens with a posterior white triangle or longitudinal medial line on sterna four to six. The male subgenital plates are short and pointed, with large lateral setae. The female pregenital sternite (sternite #7) is white with a brown posterior marginal band; the pygofer is long and narrow and brown. Adult males are 5.7-6.1 mm long, while females are 6.4-7.3 mm. (Barnett 1976) The nymph is dark brown overall with lateral white dots on terga 5 and 6. (Barnett 1976) | A single record from the mountains; likely under collected. Rare | Woodland | Ulmus americana (Barnett 1976) | ||||||||
| Scaphoideus titanus American Grapevine Leafhopper | A brown species, with a white crown that has a thin but bold brown marginal line; there is an orange-brown transverse { shaped bar between the eyes, with the orange color fading into cream towards the posterior edge of the head. The face is brown with a bold brown line(s) below the crown margin. The pronotum is mostly orange-brown, with a central white cruciate mark. The scutellum is bicolored, with the anterior half a brownish orange color and the posterior half a yellowish-white. The wings are a mixture of brown and golden yellow, with dark brown tips and some scattered white spots; the wing venation is dark brown. Males have yellowish valve and genital plates. The female pregenital sternite is white with a posterior dark brown medial area; the margins of this sternite are relatively straight. Adult males are 4.7-5.0 mm long, while females are 5.2-6.0 mm. (Barnett 1976). Nymphs have a somewhat distinctive color pattern, being mostly bicolored with alternating white and brown. See here for images of nymphs: 1, 2. For more images of adults, see: BG. | Recorded from a few counties in the Coastal Plain and mountains; probably under collected and more abundant in the right habitat. | Open woodlands and herbaceous vegetation | Common on grapes (Vitis spp.); also reported from American elm, winged elm, golden rod, cane, Cretagus, Polygonium, Salix, Juniperus virginiana, Onoclea sinsibilis, etc. (Barnett 1976) | ||||||||
| Scaphoideus tergatus | A yellowish-brown species. The crown is white with a thin brown marginal line and a brownish-orange { shaped band between the eyes that fades into the creamy-white color of the posterior edge of the crown. The pronotum itself is mostly a reddish-brown color with a whitish transverse band or cruciate-shaped mark. The scutellum is somewhat bicolored, with the anterior half orange and the posterior half a yellowish-white; there is a dark brown dot on the lateral margins. The face is white in females, smudgy light brown in males, and has a couple dark brown lines below the crown margin. The wings are yellowish-brown, with some dark brown to black and white patches; the veins are dark brown, and the tips have a dark brown to black smudge. The underside of females is whitish, while in males it is brownish. The female pregenital sternite is white with a small brown medial area; there is no medial notch in this sternite. Adult males are 5.8 mm long, while females are 5.4-6.3 mm. (Barnett 1976) | Only recorded from a couple counties in the Coastal Plain, where it seems locally common; probably under collected. | Probably mixed hardwood forest. | Ulmus americana (Barnett 1976), Vitis ssp. | ||||||||
| Scaphoideus productus | Brownish overall. The crown is white with a thin dark brown marginal line. There is an orange to dark brown mark in front of the eyes. The face is brown to yellow, with a dark brown area under the medial half of the eyes; there are several dark brown lines below the crown margin. The pronotum is light brown or orange with an interrupted white cruciate mark. The scutellum is yellowish to orange, with the posterior part whitish. The wings are brownish with white patches; the wing tips are dark, and the wing venation is dark brown. Males are pale on the underside, and the female pregenital sternite (sternite #7) is white with a brown posterior area. The adult female is 6.1 mm long. (Barnett 1976) | Recorded only from Wake county in the Piedmont; probably under collected. | ? | ? | ||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Scaphoideus pullus | A rather dark Scaphoideus species, ranging from light to dark brown overall. The crown is white to yellowish white with a thin, dark anterior marginal line (the line may be broken or complete) and a brown to mandarin orange wavy band transversing the width of the vertex in front of the eyes (this band may be broken medially). The eyes are a very dark reddish color, sometimes with a white longitudinal line. The face is dark to light brown with the central area lighter, and there is a dark brown line below the crown margin. The pronotum may be a grayish-white color with a posterior transverse arc-shaped dark brown band and usually three equally spaced pairs of dark brown dots near the anterior margin; or the pronotum is white with an oblique dark brown bar on the lateral areas and a wrinkled dot at the anterior margin of the pronotum, sometimes with two medial anterior dark brown dots. The scutellum ranges from cadmium orange to deep yellow, with dark brown to blackish anterior lateral areas. The wings are dark, with an anterior dorsal area that is dark brown and the remaining areas concolorous with few white spots; the venation is brown. The coxae are dark brown, the rest of the legs are yellowish-brown. The abdominal venter is dark brown with only minor yellowish-white areas laterally. The male subgenital plates are dark brown and are long, narrow and bluntly rounded with large setae in the posterior medial area. The female pregenital sternite is yellowish to yellowish-white anteriorly, dark brown posteriorly; the posterior margin is produced medially, giving the sternite a triangular, pointed shape. Adult males are 5.0-5.9 mm long (can reach as small as 4.8 mm per specimens below), while females are 5.2-5.7 mm. (Barnett 1976) For more images of this species, see: BG. | Uncommon, recorded from the Piedmont and mountains; probably more abundant in the right habitat. | Recorded in or near mixed hardwood and open forest habitat. | Ulmus americana, Hicoria, etc. (Barnett 1976) | ||||||||
