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| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joruma pisca | A small species that appears long and slender. This species looks dark, almost black overall, but in reality only the pronotum and head are dark; the wings are actually amber colored, but due to the dark abdomen, when the wings are down on the body, they appear blackish. When viewed from above, the eyes are darker than the head, and the face is a reddish color. The underside of the body is yellowish, ad the legs are a pale yellow color. The body is red near the wing bases (visible when the wings are raised), the abdomen has an orange tint on the top, and some specimens are reported to have red on the back as well. Males have characteristic genitalia with long, straight male subgenital plates covered with a comb of long setae. Females have a somewhat triangular pregenital sternite with a thin slit in the middle. (BG) | Recorded recently from several counties across the state; could possibly show up anywhere in the state, but not much is known about this species. | Has been found in grassy habitat amid montane forest, as well as in mixed hardwood forest. | |||||||||
| Megamelus davisi Common Waterlily Planthopper | Beamer notes that this species is dark brown in color, with the lobes of the ninth abdomenal segment black. Both brachypterous males and females are dark brown, sometimes blackish, though there are two interrupted lines of pale spots spanning the abdomen. Adult brachypters though can be fairly light in color, with dark abdominal and lateral bands. The crown is more than twice as long as the apical width and project about a third its length in front of the eyes. The frons is brown to dark brown in both males and females, and the antennal segments are dark. Brachypterous males are 3.2 mm long while females are 3.8 mm (Beamer, 1955). Macropterous individuals are black, sometimes showing a thin pale middorsal stripe down the head and thorax. There is a small black spot on the middle of the inner margin of the wings; the base of the wings are also black. The antennal segments are light brown though. See here for images of a pinned macropterous male: BG. Nymphs are yellow with dark brown markings, though individuals that overwinter are dark brown to grayish with light brown and pale yellow markings (W & M, 1981). For additional images of this species, see: BG. | Can be locally abundant, recorded from three counties in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain; probably more abundant in the right habitat. | Has been found in grassy areas near mixed hardwood forest. Areas where water lilies occur. | Water lily (Nymphaea spp.), American white water lily (Nymphaea odorata Aiton as Castalia odorata); pond lily (Nuphar advena; Nymphaeaceae); Pontederia cordata (Pontederiaceae); alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides: Amaranthaceae) (UDEL) | ||||||||
| Typhlocyba transviridis | A pale yellow to white species with a broad dark brown transverse band across the wings, roughly posterior of the middle of the wings. Fresh specimens can be green with the transverse wing band a greenish-brown color. The abdomen starts out bright green before changing to a paler yellow color. The male subgenital plates are not enlarged at the apex. Adults are 3.25-3.5 mm long. (Christian 1953, Beirne 1956). For images of the genitalia, see: 3I. For additional pics of this species, see: BG. | Rare, a few recent records from the northern mountains; probably more abundant in the mountains. Should occur from June through July at the very least. | Tilia americana (basswood) (3I) | |||||||||
| Chlorotettix floridanus | A pale yellow to brownish yellow species. The eyes are light yellow to reddish-brown, and the forewings are yellowish subhyaline. The crown is roundedly produced, with the median length only slightly longer than the length next to the eye. The female pregenital sternite has a moderately deep V-shaped excavation that extends about three-quarters of the length of the sternite; there is a very shallow notch in the middle of the bigger excavation, which has a dark brown border, and the lateral angles are triangular. The male subgenital plates are triangular, with the lateral margin slightly sinuate; the apex is rounded. Adult males are 5.4-5.9 mm long, females are 6.1-6.5 mm. (Cwikla 1988) For additional images of pinned specimens, see: BOLD. | Recorded from sveral counties in the Coastal Plain; likely under collected and therefore under reported, should occur throughout the Coastal Plain. It has been collected across its range from April through September (Cwikla 1988). | Grassy areas, fields, regenerated farmland | |||||||||
| Paraphlepsius torridus | A brownish, densely reticulated species with a produced, pointed crown that is sharply angled towards the face. The female pregenital sternite has the median lobes wide and blunt, with the posterior margin a sort of } shape. The male subgenital plates are triangular. Adult males are 4.6-5.1 mm long, females are 4.8-5.8 mm. (Hamilton 1975) For diagrams of this species, see: Dmitriev. | Scattered records across the state; possibly under collected and therefore more abundant in the right habitat. | ||||||||||
| Idiocerus n-species Undescribed Idiocerus Species | A distinctive looking hopper, a rusty-brown yellowish color overall with black wing venation and white marks across the wings. The scutellum has a pale yellow base with two black triangles in the upper corner and a smaller black mark between them (not always present, perhaps a sexually dimorphic feature that is only present in males?); the posterior half of the scutellum may be yellow or show a white or red stripe. The pronotum is reddish-brown with a distinctive, broad longitudinal white stripe that typically ends before reaching the head. Males have a black clubbed-tip to the antennae, characteristic of male Idiocerus. For more images of this species, see: BG. | Scattered records across the state, uncommon to rare. | Has been found in grassy, brushy habitat near montane forest; also mixed hardwood forests. | |||||||||
| Erasmoneura vulnerata | A dark leafhopper with a reddish-brown color pattern, sometimes with a brighter red or green hue. The extensive brown patches on the wings and head are characteristic of this species; the brown color sort of resembles the color of dried-blood (hence 'vulnerata') (BG). Some individuals however have very vibrant red wings and sometimes a red head and thorax. There are small pale spots on the side of an otherwise dark head with a pale midline; these pale spots resemble white stripes next to the eyes. The pronotum and mesonotum are also mostly dark, and the anteclypeus is brown or black. There is a white patch on the costal margin of the wings, and the wing tips are a dark brown. The underside of the thorax (the mesosternum to be exact) is dark, the rest is pale. Adults are 2.7-3.2 mm long. (Dmitriev & Dietrich, 2007) For more images of this species showing the array of variation, see: BG. Nymphs are reddish-brown with yellowish markings dorsally, divided by a yellowish stripe. The underside of the abdomen is a bold red color; the legs are yellow. | Recorded across the state, with a majority of records from the Piedmont where it is common; likely abundant across the state in the right habitat. | Recorded from mixed hardwood forest, forest edge, and grassy areas. | Vitis riparia, Vitis sp., Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Ilex decidua, Cercis canadensis, Aesculus sp., Ulmus alata, among others (3I); has also been found on Black Gum. | ||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Bothriocera maculata | A dark species in this genus with a central bold transverse band across the wings that is blackish. There is a network of black lined wing cells near the tip of the wings that gives this species a somewhat distinctive wing pattern. This pattern, in addition to the relatively clear base of the wings above the dark band, outside of a small black tear-shaped mark on the side of each wing, can help differentiate this species from the similar B. cognita whose wing markings are typically much more intense and darker; maculata also only has the clavus embrowned along the inner margin. The body is dark, blackish in color, contrasting with the typically fulvousy orange/tawny color of the square-shaped head. The face is also dark, and the pronotum and tegulae are embrowned or not; the mesonotum is a dark yellowish-brown to dark reddish-brown. The legs are also fulvousy orange. Adult males are 4.2-5.0 mm long, while females are 4.4-5.2 mm. (Kramer, 1983) | Uncommon, recorded across the Piedmont and Coastal Plain; possibly more abundant in the right habitat. | Has been found in grassy habitat. | Nymphs are presumed to be root feeders. Adults have been found to associate with: Spartina patens, Spartina cynosuroides (Poaceae, cordgrass), Juncus roemerianus (Juncaceae, needlegrass rush, black rush) (UDEL) | ||||||||
| Telamona tiliae Basswood Treehopper | A dirty grayish-green species that can fade to a dirty yellowish color, mottled with darker reddish-brown markings on the pronotum. Males have a broad and dark oblique fascia broadening from the costa to cover most of the pronotal crest that is definite (there is a broad light stripe on the anterior and posterior margins of the crest), whereas females have a weaker fascia that may only be emphasized on the margin and a more quadrangular pronotal crest. The pronotum is long, acute, with a broad crest, and quadrangular in shape, being inclined posteriorly and sloping anteriorly: the crest is obliquely truncate with the anterior angle roundedly rectangular and the posterior one obtuse with an upright margin that rounds into the rest of the pronotum. Adult females are 10 mm long, 6 mm wide, and 5 mm in height (Kopp & Yonke 1974) For more pics of this species, see: BG. | Rare but likely overlooked, recently recorded for the first time from a single county in the mountains. Likely more abundant where Basswood is present. | Forested areas | Primarily associated with American Basswood (Tilia americana); also Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), Hawthorn (Crataegus sp.), Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), White Oak (Quercus alba), Bur Oak (Q. macrocarpa), Chinkapin Oak (Q. muehlenbergii), Northern Red Oak (Q. rubra), and Black Oak (Q. velutina). (Wallace 2014, Kopp & Yonke 1974) | ||||||||
| Omolicna mcateei | A grayish to grayish-orange species with a rich fulvous body color. The wings are largely washed with orange, though there may be some grayish-blue mixed in, particularly closer to the tips; some individuals can appear entirely grayish-blue. The wing tips have a pink margin in fresh individuals. This is a somewhat medium-sized species, noted in Halbert et al. (2014 as being 3.5-4.0 mm long; however, per individuals on here, this species can also be noticeably larger and range up to around 5.5 mm. For more images of this species showing variation in color, see: BG. | Previously recorded from North Carolina, but unclear from where (UDEL). Recently recorded across the Coastal Plain and part of the Piedmont where it can be common. | Has been found in open, coastal pine habitat. | Physalis spp. (groundcherry) (UDEL) | ||||||||
| Erasmoneura fulmina | A fairly dark and variable species, with two main forms. The vertex is mostly a dark brown to blackish color, sometimes with some small pale spots to either side of a whitish midline. The anteclypeus (lower part of the face) is brown or black, while the pronotum is dark brown or blackish with some white speckling. The scutellum is largely dark, with a pale midline between two dark lateral triangles. The underside of the thorax is entirely dark. In the nominate form, the dorsum is yellow or white, with a red, orange, brown or blackish color pattern on the wings that contrasts with pale patches. In form "bicolorata" the basal half of the wings is entirely dark, contrasting with the much paler distal half of the wings. Adults are 2.7-2.9 mm long. (Dmitriev & Dietrich, 2007) | Rare, recorded from a single county in both the Piedmont and mountains; possibly more abundant in the right habitat. | Vitis sp. (3I) | |||||||||
| Balclutha incisa | A slender species that ranges from yellow, yellowish-green, and green in color, sometimes pale. The wings are concolorous with the body color, and the cells of the forewings are sometimes fuscous (see images above). The head is as wide as or slightly wider than the pronotum; the vertex is the same length in the middle as next to the eye. The female pregenital sternite is is seemingly variable in shape, ranging from a straight posterior margin to one that is concavely bilobate. The male subgenital plates are triangular, with short finger-like projections that extend from the tapered apexes. Adult males are 2.9 to 3.6 mm long, females are 2.8 to 3.8 mm. Nymphs are a light brown color. (Knight, 1987) For images of specimens of nymphs and adults, see: BOLD. For a couple diagrams of the genitalia, see: 3i. | Scattered records across the state, rare; likely under collected and therefore more abundant in the right habitat. | Has been found near mixed hardwood forest, forest edge; also in grassy areas | Probably grasses; Knight (1987) reports the following host plants for this species from around the world, most from the Caribbean: Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus ferax, Daucus carota (carrot), Eriochloa subglabra, Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato), Oryza sativa (rice), Panicum barbinode, Saccharum sp. (sugar-cane) | ||||||||
| Amphigonalia gothica | A pinkish-brown species, distinctive in coloration among hoppers in the region; however, there can be slight variation in coloration and some individuals can range in color from yellowish to grayish-green. There is an "M" or omega-shaped dark brown to black mark on the top of the head, between the eyes, that is distinctive for this species; there is also a small dark spot at the apex of the head (which G. hieroglyphica lacks). Some individuals though can have head markings that are not very bold. This vertex of this species is slightly narrower and more pointed than in G. hieroglyphica. The wings tends to be concolorous with the rest of the body; sometimes some cells are darker than the venation. The female pregenital sternite has a truncated, convex triangular projection and is more than twice as long as the preceding sternite; it extends outwards. Male subgenital plates are long and triangular. Adults are 5.5-6.0 mm long. (DeLong 1960) Nymphs are mostly pale in coloration with dark-brown to blackish bands running the entire length of the side of the body; the eyes are also mostly black with some white speckling. | Uncommon to rare; some old collection records and a couple recent from the mountains (low and high mountains); probably more abundant in this region. | Shrubby, grassy, vegetated, open montane areas | Willow (Salix sp.)? (DeLong 1948) | ||||||||
| Macrosteles bifurcatus | Yellow to yellowish green overall, often with a faint smoky tint to the wings. The body is comparatively elongate. The vertex is rather short and rounded anteriorly; it is more than twice as wide as long. The spot pattern on the head is isolated, or partly confluent. The face has prominent black transverse bands. The male subgenital plate has 9 to 10 prominent macrosetae lining the lateral margins, with a produced, tapered tip to the plate lacking setae. Adult males are 3.5-3.9 mm long, females are 3.8-4.2 mm. (Kwon & Kwon, 2022) For images of the holotype male, see: BG. | Previously reported from the state but unclear from where exactly (Kwon & Kwon, 2022); recently found in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. | Wild rice, Scirpus validus, Sparaganium sp., Typha sp., Zizania aquatica (Kwon & Kwon, 2022) | |||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Telamona maculata | A reddish-brown species with a broad, tall pronotal crest (almost a plateau shape). The posterior tip of the pronotum is red, followed by a pale brown and then a dark brown, almost black band. The pronotal horns may be reddish as well and extend well to the sides of the rest of the pronotum. The front of the head is pale. | Uncommon to locally common, recorded across the state, primarily from the Piedmont and mountains. Seasonal distribution: 10 May- October (CTNC) | Forest with oak | Carya (hickory), Quercus alba (white oak) [nymphs on this plant], Q. bicolor (swamp white oak), Q. macrocarpa (bur oak), Q. montana (chestnut oak) (Wallace 2014). | ||||||||
| 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. | ||||||||||
| Flexamia sandersi | Light brownish overall. The face varies from dark above and shading to paler apically to brown or black throughout, but often brown or tan; the interocular area is never black (no defined band present). The crown is produced, with the median length 1.48 x the interoculate width and 0.69 x the full head width. The female pregenital sternite has a sinusoidal posterior margin, with concave notches on the sides of a convex, relatively flat median projection with a small notch in the middle; the lateral margins of the sternite are roundly convex. The male genital plates are elongate, apically notched; in some specimens, they are bidentate. Together, the plates appear triangular. Adult males are 2.9-3.5 mm long, females are 3.2-3.9 mm. (Whitcomb & Hicks 1988) For diagrams of this species, see: Zahniser; not sure the genitalia are correct on here. | Scattered records across the state; likely under collected and therefore more abundant in the right habitat. | Grassy areas where host occurs | Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus), Andropogon spp. (Whitcomb & Hicks 1988) | ||||||||
| Enchenopa on-viburnum Undescribed Enchenopa on Viburnum | 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 reddish-brown, 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. | Recorded from a few counties in the mountains and Piedmont, likely found throughout much of the state where Viburnum is present. | Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium) | |||||||||
| Erythridula victorialis | A fairly distinctive Erythridula. Adults are yellowish or white with a bold red or orange claval streak on each wing parallel to the claval suture, giving this species the appearance of having a bold dorsal V across the wings. The vertex is unicolorous with a pale midline, and the face, pronotum, mesonotum, and thoracic venter are also pale. The abdomen is also pale dorsally. Adults are 3.1-3.4 mm long. (3i) | Rare, a couple recent records from the mountains. | Recorded in NC from open herbaceous areas. | Vaccinium sp. (3i) | ||||||||
| Fieberiella florii Privet Leafhopper | A distinctive looking species: its shape mimics the buds of its plant hosts (UC). It is rufous overall with fine black spots all over the wings and pronotum, characteristic of this species. There is a white band with thin white border going across the sides of the eyes and head. Females have a prominent white band across the middle of an otherwise rufous abdomen; the face is a yellowish color. Nymphs are green with a small blue line across the body lengthwise. There are small black freckles across the body, and the tip of the abdomen is a pink/red color. (BG) For diagrams of this species, see: 3i. | Scattered records in the Piedmont and coastal plain; probably more abundant in the right habitat. | This species feeds on a wide variety of broad-leafed, woody trees, shrubs and vines. Favorite host plants include privet, boxwood, myrtle, hawthorn, pyracantha, Ceanothus, Cotoneaster, fruit trees in the Rose family (such as cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, apples, and crabapples), and other woody plants in the rose family. (BG) (UC) | |||||||||
| Macrosteles quadrilineatus Aster Leafhopper | A yellow to yellowish-green species, sometimes with faint smoky markings on the wings, with a bold head pattern. It has narrow wings and [typically] 6 bold black marks on the head: 4 lines (hence quadrilineatus) and 2 spots posterior to the lines (this species used to be known as the Six-spotted Leafhopper). Sometimes the number of marks is reduced to just 4 or 2 bold ones, with the spots not present on every individual (they can disappear partly); additionally, the boldness of the head markings can vary. The vertex is broad, being more than twice as wide as long and rounded anteriorly in both sexes. The scutellum has two small black triangles in the upper corners, though these 'triangle's can sometimes be reduced to just a small black base/line; in other individuals, the scutellum is entirely green. This species has very long wings for the genus, longer than related species, with the wings 4.5 x as long as wide. The subgenital plates have 7-9 macrosetae on each side. Adult males are 3.1-4.0 mm long, while females are 3.4-4.3 mm. (Hamilton 1983, Kwon & Kwon, 2022) Nymphs are greenish with some dark coloration, especially on the wing pagds. The crown shows black markings similar to those found on adults. For an image of a nymph associating with an adult, see: BG. | Scattered records across the state where it is uncommon, likely more abundant in the right habitat, especially agricultural areas. | Has been found in grassy, brushy areas. Abundant in agricultural areas as well. | Asters and corn; polyphagous (BG). Also from grasses and cereals, potato, lettuce, and rice (Kwon & Kwon, 2022). | ||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Eratoneura hymettana | The wings and body are mostly a pale whitish color, but there are four dark faded marks (almost rectangular in shape) on the middle of the wings, forming an upside down U when viewed from above; these dark marks can vary from reddish-brown to dark gray. There are a couple broken orange bands towards the rear of the wings, past the darker marks. There is a small black spot at the base of the 4th apical cell in each wing. The vertex is yellowish brown, and there is a yellow and orange set of markings across the anterior edge of the pronotum; the rest of the pronotum is almost entirely pale. The scutellar angles are yellow-orange, and there are a couple large orange spots on the base of the wings to either side of the scutellum. Adults are 2.9- 3.2 mm long. (3I) | Recorded from the Piedmont and mountains, and likely to occur in the mountains as well since it has been collected across the border in Appalachia Tennessee; likely a very uncommon to rare species in the state. | Forested areas with sycamore | American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis; 3I) | ||||||||
| Macrosteles superior | A pale yellow to yellowish-green species. The vertex spot pattern is isolated and sometimes partly reduced. The face has the dark transverse bands [typical of other similar species] reduced. The male subgenital plates taper to produced apices and have 7 macrostetae along the lateral margins. Males are 3.6-3.9 mm long, females are 3.7-4.1 mm. (Kwon & Kwon, 2022) | Rare, known from a single collecting date from a single county in the mountains; likely under-collected. | ? | |||||||||
| Macrosteles slossoni | A distinctively marked yellow to yellowish-green species with prominent dark markings across the body and smoky markings on the forewings. Adults have a black and yellowish-green pattern on the scutellum, pronotum, head, and face; there are three pairs of spots on the vertex and one next to each eye. These spots are often confluent: connected with each other. Males tend to have darker and bolder markings on the head and pronotum than females. The wings are typically a grayish color with a dark diamond-shaped pattern. Some individuals can be quite dark though, with darker wings. The vertex is rounded anteriorly in males and somewhat pointed in females. The female pregenital sternite is relatively straight across the posterior margin. Male subgenital plates are triangular with pointed attenuated apices that slightly diverge from one another; there are 6-7 macrosetae along each edge. Adult males are 2.5-2.8 mm long, females are 2.8-3.1 mm. (DeLong 1948; Kwon & Kwon, 2022) For more images of this species, see: BG. For diagrams of this species, see: Zahniser. | Recorded from several counties in the mountains, possibly more abundant in the right habitat, especially in higher elevation areas. | Grassy areas, such as shores and wet places, where its host plants grow (BG) | Sedges and rushes (Juncus spp.) (BG); swamp grasses | ||||||||
| Macrosteles lepidus | A yellow, ochreous to yellowish green species overall, sometimes with faint smoky tinting to the wings. The vertex is essentially rounded in males and slightly pointed in females. There are six prominent large, black markings on the vertex: 2 large ones in the middle of the head (between the eyes), 2 on the vertex edge (these are tear-shaped), and 1 on the side of each eye. Median spots are always absent on the vertex, while lateral spots are sometimes present and, if so, isolated. The size and boldness of these head markings can vary among individuals. The face has transverse streaks reduced or absent. There is a small black spot in each lateral triangle of the scutellum. The female pregenital sternite has the posterior margin convexly rounded on either side of a broad but shallow median excavation. The male subgenital plates are short, with attenuated apexes; there are 9-11 macrosetae along the lateral margins. Adults males are 3.2-3.7 mm long, females are 3.5-4.0 mm. (DeLong 1948; Kwon & Kwon, 2022) For images of this species, see: BG. For diagrams of this species, see: Zahniser. | Recorded from several counties in the Piedmont, where uncommon; probably more abundant in the right habitat. | Near moist or swampy woodland areas | ? | ||||||||
| Macrosteles parvidens | This is a highly variable species, with color (primarily on the wings) ranging from yellow to yellowish green to ochreous, often with dark markings enlarged on the pronotum and smoky tinting broadly on the wings; this can give the wings a heavily patterned look, especially as there may be paler areas within the smoky patterning. The head pattern is also variable; adults typically have 4 bold black spots on the head, 2 on the edge of the vertex (these anterior spots are large) and 2 posterior spots further in between the eyes on the top of the vertex, which are smaller than the anterior spots and isolated. Median spots are always absent, while lateral spots are often present and confluent with anterior spots (meaning they typically connect with the anterior spot through an extended bar on the edge of the vertex). The vertex is longer than half of the pronotum mesally and is deeply rounded anteriorly. The face can sometimes have brown transverse bands partially present. Furthermore, the basal angles of the scutellum are black [triangles], and there can sometimes be an horizontal black bar along the scutellar sulcus. The female pregenital sternite has a small triangular median notch; the rest of the posterior margin is relatively straight. The male subgenital plate tapers to an elongated process; there are 9 prominent macrosetae on the lateral margins. Adult males are 3.4-3.7 mm long, while females are 3.7-4.2 mm. (Kwon 2010; Kwon & Kwon, 2022) | Scattered records across the state, where it is seemingly most abundant in the mountains; probably more abundant in the right habitat. | Has been found in brushy, grassy areas. | ? | ||||||||
| Scaphoideus luteolus White-banded Elm Leafhopper | Adults are typically a dusky amber yellow to orange color overall. The tip of the crown (top of the head) is whitish to yellow with a thin brown marginal line. There is a broad orange { shaped mark between the eyes, typically above a thin pale base of the crown (before the pronotum). The eyes are reddish (sometimes bright red) with a whitish longitudinal line going through them. The face is a golden yellow to pale orange color, as is the rest of the underside of this species; the abdominal segments though have a thin white border to the posterior edge. The pronotum is mostly an orange color, with a pale bluish-gray T-shaped marked. The scutellum is bicolored, with the anterior half orange and the posterior part a cream color. The wings are golden yellow to orange, with some scattered white spots; the tip of the wings have a thin dark border. The wing venation is brownish-yellow. The male genital valve and plates are golden yellow to orange. The female pregenital sternite is golden yellow to orange, with some dark brown shading; it has a narrow medial notch posteriorly, with two ventrally curved areas on either side of the notch. Adult males are 4.7-5.3 mm long, while females are 5.2-5.7 mm. (Barnett 1976) The nymph is dark overall except for 2 to 3 whitish abdominal segments. See here for more images of this species: BG. | A single county record; rare in the state but likely under collected and therefore more abundant. | Herbaceous woodland habitats | Willow, elm (Ulmus americana), Vitis, cottonwood, other herbaceous plants (Barnett 1976) | ||||||||
| Osbornellus unicolor | This species is brownish overall, with dense brown coloring and no bold markings on much of the body and wings; the wing venation is dark, and the tips of the wings are blackish. The face, vertex and pronotum are a uniform brown color. The female pregenital sternite has the posterior margin truncated, often times with an indication of a central tooth; on either side of this tooth the segment is emarginate. Adults are 5.0 mm long. (Beamer 1937), (DeLong 1948) For images of a live individual, see: BG. | Recorded from a few counties in the Piedmont; rare, possibly under collected. | Woodlands | Herbaceous vegetation | ||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Deltanus bicolor | A distinct, boldly marked species that is yellowish-green on the anterior two-thirds of the body and wings. The color of the crown is ivory with a round yellowish spot on the disc either side of the median line. The pronotum and scutellum are yellowish-green, mottled with ivory and with an indistinct longitudinal stripe on either side of the middle. The wings are yellowish-green on the basal two-thirds, with the posterior third black with three large, elongate clear areoles within the black region before the apical crossveins. The underside of the head is largely black, and the rest of the underside of the body is mottled with black. The crown is slightly concave, and the antennae are one-third as long as the body. The female pregenital sternite has the lateral margins one-third as long as the median length, with the posterior margin slightly and broadly trilobed; the underlying membrane is produced into two rounded lobes that are almost as long as the median portion of the sternite. Adults are 5 mm long. (Beamer, 1950) For images of this species, see: BG. | Rare, one record from the Coastal Plain; likely found elsewhere along the coast. | ? | |||||||||
| Hymetta kansasensis | The most boldly-marked member of this genus. The wings are milky-white with a bold, dark brown and red color pattern. The first two crossbands are brownish to reddish, with the first typically quite thick and strongly narrowed on the costal margin while the second is more of a broken oblique zig-zag line running from the plaque to the transverse apical red line; together they tend to form a large, characteristic dark saddle. The third band is a very dark inverted V. The costal plaque is [sometimes] dark. There is a black dot on the corium which touches the claval suture, and a small brownish spot on the clavus caudad of these; there are many small reddish flecks on the corium, clavus and [sometimes] costal plaque. The vertex is either unicolorous or with orange parallel submedial lines, often with a lateral branch. The disc of the pronotum is usually darkened, resulting in a diagnotistic yellowish-brown circular patch. The scutellum has a small black dot at the apex. The thoracic venter is entirely pale. Adults are 3.2-3.5 mm long. (3I; Fairbairn, 1928) For more images of this species, see: BG. For diagrams of this species, see: 3I. Young nymph instars are pale with blackish tarsi, with brownish-olive markings on the body. Young instars have darker markings, and the rest of the legs become olive-blackish. | Rare, only known from one county in the state, in the Piedmont; likely overlooked. | Can be found in mixed hardwood forest. | Cercis canadensis (red bud) (3I) | ||||||||
| Chlorotettix attenuatus | A pale yellow, yellowish-green, to light brown species with dark eyes; the forewing is yellowish subhyaline. The vertex is bluntly, angularly produced and is three-fifths longer at the middle than next to the eye. The female pregenital sternite has the posterior margin angulate, excavated to about one-half the length of the segment and bearing a short median spatulate process, which does not extend past the posterior angles. The male subgenital plates are broad at the bases and narrowed to long acute apices with slightly sinuate lateral margins; the plates are almost as long as the pygofer. Adult males are 6.5-7.1 mm long, females are 6.9-7.6 mm. (DeLong 1948, Cwikla 1988) To view some pinned specimens, see: BOLD. For diagrams of this species, see: 3I. | A few records from the Piedmont and Coastal Plain; likely under collected and therefore under reported. | Probably grassy areas, forest edge | |||||||||
| Xestocephalus n-species2 Probable Undescribed Xestocephalus Species | This species is mottled in color, with the wing cells an array of orange, brown, white, and black. The pronotum and head are a pale brown with largely scattered whitish patches, strongly contrasting with the wings and giving this species a unique appearance. The head has pale ][ shaped markings on the vertex. The underside is dark brown to blackish, and the female pregenital sternite has a concave posterior margin with a V-shaped notch. This species is large for the genus, being around 3.5 mm long. | Recorded from a handful of counties across the state. Possibly more abundant in the right habitat, especially in coastal counties. | Has been found in mixed to open forest habitat. | |||||||||
| Telamona stephani | A dark species that is sexually dimorphic in size, coloration and some features of the pronotal crest. In males, the pronotal crest is low in elevation and curves from the front of the pronotum before angling downward posteriorly. Males have mostly a dark brown to black pronotum with pale but vibrant light greenish-white to green marks. In females, the pronotal crest is much larger, taller and less rounded, angling downwards posteriorly very sharply. Females also have dark and pale mottling similar to the males, but much less vibrantly and with more pale than dark areas; the dark patches are also more of a brownish rather than dark brown to black color. The wings have dark brown to black tips, and the venation is a bold black. The legs are dark with pale spots, and the underside of the body is dark. Males are 8.0-8.4 mm long, females are 9.3-9.5 mm. (Wallace, 2018) The nymph of this species is unknown. | Scattered records across the state, where it is uncommon; possibly more abundant in the right habitat. This species differs from other telamonine species in its seasonal occurrence, being found in late summer and fall; most other telamonines in the eastern U.S. are found in the late spring and early summer. (Wallace, 2018) | Has been found near mixed hardwood forest, including in higher elevations (Pilot Mountain). | ? | ||||||||
| Dikrella cruentata | A pale white or yellowish species, with two pairs of oblique yellow to bright red lines across the wings, a median stripe on the vertex, and two stripes on the pronotum that arise from the vertex. There are black markings at the cross nervures of the wing apices. The female pregenital sternite is one-half longer than the preceding, with the posterior margin strongly produced from lateral angles to a broad median, convex tooth. Male subgenital plates drastically taper toward the apices, appearing pinched on the lateral margins. Adults are 2.75-3.0 mm long. (Ball & DeLong, 1925) There are three described varieties of this species: kansiensis (which has a slightly different shape to the pregenital sternite), lavata (which is entirely pale, creamy, or with slight smoky indications near the cross-veins), and rubricata (which has an entirely red scutellum and broader red markings and smoky band than usual). For additional images of this species, see: BG. | Rare, one recent record from the Piedmont; likely under collected and more abundant in the right habitat. | Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch), Betula papyrifera (white birch), Rubus sp., Viburnum alnifolium (hobble bush) (3I); also speckled alder, witch-hazel, jewelweed, buckeye, apples, striped maple, skunk cabbage, and American hazel (Chandler & Hamilton, 2017). | |||||||||
| Hebetica sylviae | A brownish-green species, with the pronotum a unicolorous green or pale brown color with a darker apex and black pronotal pits. The legs are pale brown except that the femora are dorsally black for most of their length. Short, numerous setae cover the pronotum. Adult males are 7.5-8.2 mm long and 4.5 mm wide, females are 8.9-10.0 mm long and 5.0 mm wide. (McKamey & Sullivan-Beckers, 2019) For more images of this species, see: BG. | Rare, recorded from a single county so far in the Piedmont. | Woodland | Unclear, perhaps oaks (Quercus spp.); in NC, has been found on white mulberry. | ||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Empoa vestita | Yellowish or greenish with dark brown markings, with the pronotum characteristically infumose to dark brown; sometimes the head is also dark, and the wings are typically concolorous with the pronotum. Adults are 3.25-3.5 mm long. (Beirne, 1956; Christian, 1953, Hamilton 1983) For other images of this species, see: BG. | Rare, a single recent record from the upper Piedmont; likely much more abundant in this part of the state. | Woodland | Ulmus spp. (Christian, 1953, Hamilton 1983) | ||||||||
| Balclutha punctata | This species ranges in color from pale green to a dull brown/yellow. The face frequently has brown lines on either side of the midline, and there are often orange markings on the vertex and pronotum; there tend to be dark longitudinal bands on the pronotum. The wings vary from having scattered brown/black dots to being unspotted; the abdominal dorsum is dark. The head is distinctly narrower than the pronotum, which is overall triangular in shape; this results in the head having a strong curve around the pronotum and therefore appearing pointed rather than circular. The female pregenital sternite has a truncated posterior margin, sometimes slightly sinuate. The vertex is typically no longer in the middle than next to the eye, though in some specimens it is longer. Adult males are 3.6 to 4.7 mm long, females are 3.7 to 4.4 mm. (Blocker, 1967) For images of some specimens, see: BOLD. For more images of a pinned specimen and diagrams of pattern and genitalia, see: 3i. | Previously reported from North Carolina but unclear from where. | Grasslands, fields, similar habitat; forest edge. | Grasses; Knight (1987) reports the following host plants for this species from North America: Elymus sp., Poa compressa, Prunus avium (sweet cherry) | ||||||||
| Daltonia estacadus | Stramineous in color with darker markings. The vertex is wider than the median length as well as the pronotum and has a yellow margin, anterior and parallel to a broad black band. The pronotum has a transverse indistinct median pale band. The venation on the wings is creamy and bold, contrasting sharply with the wing cells. The female pregenital sternite is short, with the posterior margin slightly and broadly emarginate. The male subgenital plates are triangular and broad at the base, convexly rounding in the middle and then gradually narrowing to acute tips. Adults are 2.6 to 3.5 mm long. (DeLong 1948, Blocker & Fang 1993) For more images of this species, see: BG. For diagrams of this species, see: 3I. | Rare, a single recent record from the Piedmont, likely also found in the mountains. | Grasslands, meadows, other grassy areas (DeLong 1948) | Grasses (DeLong 1948) | ||||||||
| Eratoneura ligata | Red or orange color pattern on an otherwise yellowish-white body. The zigzag red-orange color pattern on the wings is typically characterized by the lines along the claval margin being darker than the other markings. There is a dark spot on the costal margin of each wing, and the inner apical cell has a prominent brown spot basally. The vertex has orange parallel submedial lines, often with a lateral branch; the midline is pale. The anteclypeus is pale, concolorous with the rest of the face. The pronotum has a Y-shaped yellow to red mark in the middle (though this is absent in some individuals) and a concolorous line on the lateral margins. The mesonotum is entirely pale, with dark lateral triangles and a pale apex, contrasting with the rest of the mesonotum. The thoracic venter is entirely pale. Adults are 3.0-3.3 mm long. (3I) For more images of this species, see: BG. | Rare, a single recent record from the Piedmont. | Mixed hardwood forest, where oaks are present. | Quercus alba, Quercus macrocarpa, Quercus spp. (3I) | ||||||||
| Erasmoneura nigra | A dark brown to black hopper with mostly black wings and body with some pale spots. The head has a white midline, while the face is pale. The pronotum has three small white dots on the anterior margin; otherwise, it is entirely dark. In some individuals, there is a prominent heart-shaped or circular "white saddle" on the middle of the wings. Other individuals lack this white spots and have a couple smaller, fainter white patches or lines instead. Both forms have white on the costal margin of the wings and white transverse veins toward the wing tips. Legs are pale. Adults are 2.6-3.1 mm long. (3I) Nymphs are pale with black wing buds, a black final segment of the abdomen, and a mostly black pronotum (with some black extending onto the head). | A single recent confirmed record from the Piedmont, likely under-reported across the state. | Mixed hardwood forest habitat. | Polygonum muehlenbergii, Circaea lutetiana, Ilex decidua, Crataegus mollis, Polygonum virginianum (Persicaria virginiana), Aesculus sp., Cercis canadensis, Vitis sp., among others (3I) | ||||||||
| Erasmoneura atra or nigra | A dark brown to black hopper with mostly black wings and body with some pale spots. The head has a white midline, while the face is pale. The pronotum has three small white dots on the anterior margin; otherwise, it is entirely dark. In some individuals, there is a prominent heart-shaped or circular "white saddle" on the middle of the wings. Other individuals lack this white spots and have a couple smaller, fainter white patches or lines instead. Both forms have white on the costal margin of the wings and white transverse veins toward the wing tips. Legs are pale. Adults are 2.6-3.1 mm long. (3I) Nymphs are pale with black wing buds, a black final segment of the abdomen, and a mostly black pronotum (with some black extending onto the head). | Recorded from several counties in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain where it is fairly uncommon; possibly more abundant in the right habitat. | Has been found in mixed hardwood forest habitat. | For E. atra: Cercis canadensis, Acer saccharum, Celtis sp., among others (3I) For E. nigra: Polygonum muehlenbergii, Circaea lutetiana, Ilex decidua, Crataegus mollis, Polygonum virginianum, Aesculus sp., Cercis canadensis, Vitis sp., among others (3I) | ||||||||
| Haplaxius pusillus | A reddish-brown species. The head and thorax are a pale sordid stramineous to pale yellowish-brown color, often times tinged with green. The vertex is yellowish-green, and the face itself is greenish-orange to orange-brown. The pronotum can be a boldly contrasting orange color. The abdomen is pale, ranging from greenish to orange on the underside; dorsally the abdominal segments are dark, outlined in orange. The wings are very hyaline without any dark marks; the veins and each stigma are pale to clear, sometimes darkened at the apex in some specimens. Adult males are 3.5-4.0 mm long, females are 3.7-4.3 mm. (Kramer, 1979) | Uncommon, with several records from the Coastal Plain and Piedmont, possibly more abundant in the right habitat. | Has been found in grassy, brushy habitat surrounded by mostly pine and some hardwoods; also swept from a marsh. | Has been swept from black needlerush and spartina; unclear if these are host plants. | ||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Haplaxius enotatus | The head and thorax are stramineous to yellowish brown in color; the basal half of the frons and clypeus are sometimes orange or orange-brown. The crown and thoracic dorsum lack definite darker markings. The wings and veins are transparent pale to yellowish brown, with each costal margin ivory or whitish through the stigma. Adult males are 3.8 to 4.3 mm long, females are 4.1 to 5.0 mm. (Kramer, 1979) For images of a specimen of this species, see: UDEL. | Has been recorded from several counties in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. | Grassy areas, especially marshes and similar habitat | Grass, Juncus (Rush, Juncaceae), ‘marsh grasses’ (UDEL) | ||||||||
| Thionia elliptica | This species varies in color from grayish to brown but is generally yellowish or greenish-tan with brown speckling. It has a characteristic vertex (top of the head) that is concave from the frontal view, with the lateral margins flared prominently, and from the dorsal view, the vertex is wider than long (BG). See here for a nice depiction of the noticeably wider than long vertex. Nymphs are light brown to black in color, heavily marked with cream spots, and have red eyes. See W & W 1987 for more information and drawings of the nymphs of T. elliptica. (BG) | Uncommon to rare, only one recent record from the Piedmont. | Mixed hardwood forest, where oaks are present. | Quercus ilicifolia (bear oak, Fagaceae), Q. marilandica (blackjack oak) (UDEL); nymphs have also been found on red maple and Nyssa sylvatica (tupelo, black gum). | ||||||||
| Hebata alboneura | A robust, yellowish-green (tinged with orange) to dull-green (tinged with brown) species that has pale wing venation; this gives the species a striped appearance. The crown is relatively broad and bluntly rounded, with a median stripe that has an oblique pale dash on either side, near the eye. The posterior margin of the female pregenital sternite is produced and rounded medially, with a shallow but broad lateral emargination. Adults are 2.5-3.5 mm long. (Wheeler, 1940) | Previously recorded from the state, though unclear from where; one recent record from the Piedmont. | Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), Erigeron sp., Trifolium repens, Anthemis cotula, Artemisia sp., Chrysothamnus sp., Vicia sp. (3I) | |||||||||
| Scaphoideus intricatus | This whitish species has a very distinctive color pattern compared to other members of this genus, with the head, pronotum, scutellum, and basal cells of the wings largely pale and contrasting with the rest of the dark brown wings. In males, the crown is short with a cadmium orange bar between each ocellus, extending obliquely towards the pronotum; in females, the crown is white, with the anterior margin with a narrow apically interrupted brown line and a transverse brown wavy line between the ocelli. The face is white, and in females can have one to three transverse brown lines; the eyes can be brown. The pronotum is either entirely white or with one to seven brownish spots; the scutellum is white or yellowish-white with two anterior lateral brown spots. The wings are opalescent-translucent with brown veins. The legs are white to yellowish-white with black spots at the base of each lateral setae and brown at the base of the first tarsal segment; the coxae are white to yellowish-white. The abdomen is largely whitish ventrally. Male subgenital plates are white while the female pregenital sternite is white with a brown posterior area; the sternite is quadrate with a slight medial notch on the posterior margin. Adult males are 4.7-5.9 mm long, females are 5.7-6.1 mm. (Barnett 1976) Nymphs are almost entirely white. For more images of this species, see: BG. | Recorded recently from a couple counties in the Piedmont. | Crataegus, Robinia, Amelanchier, Vitis, Cornus, osage orange, apple, dogwood, Ulmus americana, and Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) (Barnett, 1976) | |||||||||
| Telamona westcotti | A somewhat distinctive species with a detailed color pattern across the pronotum, consisting of white, green, and black. Some individuals are more mottled green than others. The wings have a black base and tip, and the underside is dark. This species has a short pronotal crest compared to other members of this genus. | A few records from the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Seasonal distribution: 25 June-5 September (CTNC) | Has been found near mixed hardwood forest. | Quercus alba (white oak), Q. macrocarpa (bur oak), Q. montana (chestnut oak), Tilia (basswood), Ulmus (elm) (Wallace 2014). | ||||||||
| Anotia uhleri | A fairly distinctive member of this genus, it has yellowish wings with reddish-brown bases and two dark marks on each wing tip, consisting of a large reddish mark and a dark brown asymmetrical mark. The wing venation is reddish where the wings are dark and white where the wings are pale. Wing vein CuA is branched, with cells C5, C4, C3, and C3a similar in size. The thorax, abdomen, and head are reddish, and the antennal stubs are yellow. For more images of this distinctive species, see here: BG. | Only recorded from a few counties across the state, rarely encountered. | Derbidae are known or assumed to feed on fungal hyphae as immatures. Adults have been found on Acer (maples). (UDEL) | |||||||||
| Empoa aureotecta | The head, pronotum, and scutellum are yellowish white to orange-yellow. The fore wings are light rose to bright reddish-orange, covering most of the wing to the apical crossveins. There are brown spots in the apices of the three inner basal and the first and fourth apical cells, while lunate white spots are anterior to these spots in the basal and fourth apical cells; the remaining areas of the apical cells are fumose hyaline. The abdomen is yellow to reddish-orange, lacking dark markings. Adults are 3.25-3.75 mm long. (Christian, 1953) For additional images of this species, see: BG. | A few recent records from the mountains and Piedmont, likely under-collected and more abundant in this region of the state. | Woodland | Quercus sp. (3I) | ||||||||
| sciName | description | abundance | habitat | food | ||||||||
| Erythridula aspera | A pale species with a yellow, orange, or red color pattern. The vertex has oblique lateral vittae with a pale midline. The pronotum is either dark with pale lateral margins or dark with two longitudinal orange stripes, concolorous with the wing stripes. The mesonotum varies from entirely pale, pale with dark lateral triangles on the scutellum, or entirely dark brown (note that the brown does not extend under the pronotum). In var. 'kanensis,' the scutellum is a dark brown and the upper apical cell of each wing is a hyaline brown. The anteclypeus is pale and concolorous with the rest of the face, the underside of the thorax is entirely pale; the abdomen is dark dorsally. Adults are 2.8-3.0 mm long. (3i) | Recorded from a few counties in the mountains, possibly more abundant in the right habitat. | Has been found in grassy, open habitat near forest; likely prefers areas near birch. | Prunus virginiana, Prunus avium (3i) | ||||||||