Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

DELPHACIDAE Members:	NC Records
Epeurysa nawaii - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: DELPHACIDAE	Subfamily: Delphacinae	Tribe: Tropidocephalini
Taxonomic Author: Matsumura, 1900

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist Google
Description: 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)

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: Native to the Indomalayan and eastern Palearctic realms. In the United States, recorded primarily in the Southeast, from Alabama to northern Virginia. It is currently unclear exactly how, when, or where the species first entered the United States. It was first photographed in the U.S. in 2021, but it must have arrived several years prior (especially since it was photographed first in Alabama and then North Carolina in 2021). (Hendrix et al., 2025)

Abundance: Recorded primarily from the Piedmont; likely increasing in abundance and would be expected to occur elsewhere in the state.

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats:

Plant Associates: Arundinaria sp. (presumably on A. tecta), A. gigantea, Chimonobambusa quadrangularis, Phyllostachys makinoi, P. bambusoides, cultivated bamboo (Hendrix et al., 2025)

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: This species went undetected in the United States for several years and was initially believed to be a Pareuidella species. It was first detected through observations submitted to iNaturalist. (Hendrix et al., 2025)

In its native range, this species occurs from plains to mountains and is bivoltine in temperate regions; it has more than two generations in warmer regions. Adults can overwinter. (Hendrix et al., 2025)

Status: Introduced

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Epeurysa nawaii No Common Name 21
	Photo by: Marilyn Westphal Henderson Co. Comment: One older nymph close to adulthood and one young nymph. Both collected and raised in a jar with river cane leaves to adulthood.	Photo by: Marilyn Westphal Henderson Co. Comment: Nymph collected and raised to adulthood in a jar with river cane leaves. At least 3 in the jar.
	Photo by: Marilyn Westphal Henderson Co. Comment: Several very young nymphs, these possibly hatched from eggs on cane leaves in the jar where older nymphs were collected on 10/31.	Photo by: Marilyn Westphal, Nora Murdock Henderson Co. Comment: French Broad River flood plain - old field using beat sheet - unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Marilyn Westphal, Nora Murdock Henderson Co. Comment: French Broad River flood plain - old field using beat sheet - unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Marilyn Westphal, Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin Henderson Co. Comment: Caught in sweep net sweeping through river cane along the French Broad River
	Photo by: Marilyn Westphal, Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin Henderson Co. Comment: Caught in sweep net sweeping through river cane along the French Broad River	Photo by: Marilyn Westphal, Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin Henderson Co. Comment: Caught in sweep net sweeping through river cane along the French Broad River
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/172437470	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/172437470
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/172437470	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/172437470
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/172437470	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/172437470
	Photo by: Solomon Hendrix Wake Co. Comment: attracted to light - unid_planthopper	Photo by: Solomon Hendrix Wake Co. Comment: attracted to light
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 3.7 mm, came to UV light at night	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 3.7 mm, came to UV light at night
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 3.7 mm, came to UV light at night	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 3.7 mm, came to UV light at night
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 3.7 mm, came to UV light at night

Epeurysa nawaii - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Epeurysa nawaii No Common Name 21