Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Acinopterus acuminatus - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE

Subfamily: Deltocephalinae

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist Google
Description: A species with distinctive pointed wing tips and a dark overall color, with wings darker than the head and body (BG). Length is roughly 5.0-7.0 mm. When viewed from above, the head is distinctly narrower than the pronotum and the body bulges out near the pronotum before tapering at the wingtips, shaped almost like an upside down slender tear drop. The vertex (head) and pronotum are brownish to olive-green in color while the wings are typically dark brown in color, sometimes with a blue hue. Some cells, typically closer to the wing edge, may be darker than the rest of the wing, almost black in color, while other cells can be whitish. The legs are a similar greenish color to the face, except for the hindlegs which are bicolored with a dark brown base. (Lawson 1920) Nymphs are greenish overall.

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: Largely southern and eastern in its distribution, ranging west to at least Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas (Lawson 1920).

Abundance: Uncommon, with scattered records across the state; likely more abundant in the right habitat.

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Grassy, brushy, field-type habitats and forest edge (near grass).

Plant Associates: Grasses, Wild Geranium, Amphiachyris and Tetraneuris species (daisies) (Lawson 1920).

Behavior:

Comment: While A. acuminatus is the common and widespread member of this genus in the East, there is another species, A. angulatus, that could potentially be encountered. It is primarily a Southwestern U.S. species, but there are a couple records from the Southeast from FL and DC. It is a reddish color overall, lacking dark coloration; supposedly the wing tips are more blunt too, not as pointed. For more on A. angulatus, see: DeLong & Severin 1947a, DeLong & Severin 1947b.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Acinopterus acuminatus No Common Name
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Rutherford Co. Comment:	Photo by: Scott Bolick Rutherford Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Rutherford Co. Comment:	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Iredell Co. Comment: Caught sweeping in weedy field.
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Scotland Co. Comment:	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Scotland Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Scotland Co. Comment:	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 6.2 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 6.2 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 6.2 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female; is it A. angulatus? Something undescribed?	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female; is it A. angulatus? Something undescribed?
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female; is it A. angulatus? Something undescribed?	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female; is it A. angulatus? Something undescribed?
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female; is it A. angulatus? Something undescribed?	Photo by: J. B. Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: male, 5.2 mm
	Photo by: J. B. Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: male, 5.2 mm	Photo by: J. B. Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: male, 5.2 mm
	Photo by: J. B. Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: male, 5.2 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment:	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.5 mm male, sweep of low vegetation	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.5 mm male, sweep of low vegetation
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.5 mm male, sweep of low vegetation	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: male, one of several caught in sweep of low area in weedy detention basin
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: male, one of several caught in sweep of low area in weedy detention basin	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6.3 mm female, sweep through area with extensive weedy vegetation
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6.3 mm female, sweep through area with extensive weedy vegetation	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6.3 mm female, sweep through area with extensive weedy vegetation
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Iredell Co. Comment: Caught sweeping in weedy field.	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: A very light colored individual. Caught sweeping. Grassy, weedy area near hardwoods.
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Caught sweeping. Grassy, weedy area near hardwoods.	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.9mm, collected from sweep in overgrown retention area
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.9mm, collected from sweep in overgrown retention area	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.9mm, collected from sweep in overgrown retention area
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Weedy area near a hardwoods.	Photo by: B. Bockhahn Harnett Co. Comment: CACR
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Halifax Co. Comment: Caught sweeping	Photo by: Paul Scharf Halifax Co. Comment: Caught sweeping
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Halifax Co. Comment: Caught sweeping	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Vance Co. Comment: Field/forest edge
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Vance Co. Comment: Field/forest edge	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Vance Co. Comment: Field/forest edge
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Halifax Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Caught sweeping
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Caught Sweeping

Acinopterus acuminatus - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Acinopterus acuminatus No Common Name