Hoppers of North Carolina

Hoppers of North Carolina:
Spittlebugs, Leafhoppers, Treehoppers, and Planthoppers

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Graphocephala versuta - Versute Sharpshooter

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE	Subfamily: Cicadellinae	Tribe: Cicadellini
Taxonomic Author: (Say, 1830)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist Google
Description: A species with a couple color forms. The typical form (green and orange) has green forewings with several black tooth-like markings at the tip. There is a pale blue stripe, sometimes bordered on both sides by an orange stripe, that runs diagonally across the wing. The scutellum is yellow with several thin black lines, and the pronotum is green. The top of the head is light brown or orangish with a pale blue stripe along midline; hindwings are dark reddish-brown. Another form (blue and red) has mostly blue to turquoise forewings with bold red diagonal stripes. The scutellum is reddish and the top of the head and parts of the thorax are also red. Adults of both color forms are about 6 mm in length. See here for a neat picture of the two color forms mating. (BG)

Distribution in North Carolina

County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.

Out of State Record(s)

Distribution: A very common and widespread species, found from the Northeast to the Southeast and west to Texas, with some recent records from California. It ranges into Central America as far south as Costa Rica (BG).

Abundance: A very common species, recorded across the state; often occurs in large numbers.

Seasonal Occurrence

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Has been recorded in the state in a variety of habitats, including grassy/brushy/field-type habitats as well as forest edge and mixed hardwood forest.

Plant Associates: Blackberry, grape, honeysuckle, privet (Ligustrum spp.), cherry and various other deciduous trees (BG). Has also been found on sweetgum, poplar, and magnolia, and has been recorded from Ambrosia, Brassica, Juniperus, Medicago, Trifolium pratense, Juglans, Platanus, Populus, Salix, and Vitis (DL).

Behavior: This species can have up to four generations per year and overwinters as an adult (BG). Can be attracted with a black light at night.

Comment: Some individuals of this species may be vectors of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa that causes Pierce's Disease in grapes, and Bacterial Leaf Scorch in a variety of deciduous trees (BG).

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Graphocephala versuta Versute Sharpshooter
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/223173199
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/210376345	Photo by: Mark Basinger Wilson Co. Comment: At margin of loblolly pine forest.
	Photo by: Mark Basinger Wilson Co. Comment: At margin of loblolly pine forest.	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Iredell Co. Comment: Caught sweeping.	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment:	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment:	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166510639	Photo by: Erich Hofmann, David George, Rich Teper, Jeff Niznik New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Grassy field.	Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman Durham Co. Comment:
	Photo by: John Petranka Orange Co. Comment: New Hope Creek Biodiversity Survey (2021-2022)	Photo by: John Petranka Orange Co. Comment: New Hope Creek Biodiversity Survey (2021-2022)
	Photo by: John Petranka Orange Co. Comment: New Hope Creek Biodiversity Survey (2021-2022)	Photo by: John Petranka Durham Co. Comment: New Hope Creek Biodiversity Survey (2021-2022)
	Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman Durham Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Erich Hofmann New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Erich Hofmann New Hanover Co. Comment:	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/120084461
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/120084467	Photo by: Erich Hofmann New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Photo by: John Petranka Orange Co. Comment: New Hope Creek Bottomlands Biodiversity Survey	Photo by: John Petranka Orange Co. Comment: New Hope Creek Biodiversity Survey
	Photo by: John Petranka Durham Co. Comment: New Hope Creek Biodiversity Survey	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/94880280
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/91799628	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/87922578
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/84251087	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/83575338
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/82748559	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/82748576
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/82748591	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/82934160
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/80547518	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/80308377
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.9 mm, stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Quercus phellos	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: dead female stuck on a tree band on Willow Oak
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: dead female stuck on a tree band on Willow Oak	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61815285
	Photo by: Simpson Eason Durham Co. Comment:	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/57782702
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/57782704	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Burke Co. Comment: sitting on low vegetation
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/56434012	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/56173621
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/55736360	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/55736360
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/55736374	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/55736395
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Randolph Co. Comment:	Photo by: Scott Bolick Randolph Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Randolph Co. Comment:	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/55446125
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/54692421	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/54692416
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Swain Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52500092	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Swain Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52182215
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.9 mm male, low vegetation along edge of athletic field	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.9 mm male, low vegetation along edge of athletic field
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51305261	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50922160
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50836740	Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman Wake Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman Wake Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50620316
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49981076	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49981076
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49267804	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49267804
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49267804	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/31017954	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/29030075
	Photo by: aubrey wiggins Wake Co. Comment:	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/28327110
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Caught sweeping. Grassy, weedy area near hardwoods.	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/27289614
	Photo by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips Polk Co. Comment: Mating	Photo by: Randy Emmitt Orange Co. Comment: Hopping from rhododendron leaf to leaf!
	Photo by: Randy Emmitt Orange Co. Comment: My first time to see any hoppers mating!	Photo by: Randy Emmitt Orange Co. Comment: hiding in wingstem plants. - unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Amanda Auxier Pender Co. Comment:	Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman Durham Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Hunter Phillips Onslow Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment: I did not collect this one. - unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment: I did collect this one. - unid_leafhopper	Photo by: FKW Gates Co. Comment: MEMI
	Photo by: T. DeSantis Durham Co. Comment: ENRI	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman Durham Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Maria de Bruyn Orange Co. Comment:	Photo by: Maria de Bruyn Orange Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Randy L Emmitt Durham Co. Comment:	Photo by: Randy L Emmitt Durham Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Weedy area near hardwood forest edge.	Photo by: Paul Scharf, B Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: Caught sweeping . Released in same condition
	Photo by: T. DeSantis Camden Co. Comment: DISW	Photo by: Ken Childs Out Of State Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Caught Sweeping	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Caught Sweeping	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: These color variations of the common G. versuta were all on the same plant as the common color form.	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: These color variations of the common G. versuta were all on the same plant as the common color form.
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: These color variation of the common G. versuta were all on the same plant as the common color form.	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: These color variation of the common G. versuta were all on the same plant as the common color form.
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: These color variation of the common G. versuta were all on the same plant as the common color form.	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Halifax Co. Comment: grassy, field type habitat near mixed hardwood forest
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: must have followed me into my house; found on my computer	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Spotted on Magnolia Leaf

Graphocephala versuta - Versute Sharpshooter

Species Photo Gallery for Graphocephala versuta Versute Sharpshooter