Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

MEMBRACIDAE Members:	NC Records
Microcentrus perditus - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: MEMBRACIDAE	Subfamily: Stegaspidinae	Tribe: Microcentrini
Taxonomic Author: (Amyot & Serville, 1843)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist Google
Description: This species ranges in color from light brown to dark grayish-brown. The key characteristic for this species are the horns/projections present on the thorax, separating this from the projection-less M. caryae. Females have extremely pronounced horns that noticeably project from the pronotum. Males also have horns, but these are much smaller, being slight pronotal projections. Males are 7 to 8 mm long, while females are 8.5 mm (FSCA).

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: Eastern, central, and southwestern United States; Eastern and central Canada; and northern Mexico (FSCA)

Abundance: Uncommon, scattered records across the state. Seasonal distribution: 20 May-20 October (CTNC)

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Has been found near mixed hardwood forest.

Plant Associates: Carya illinoinensis (CTNC); has also been recorded from Quercus laurifolia, Q. nigra, and Q. virginiana (FSCA), and Q. alba (CTGSMNP)

Behavior: To listen to the male courtship call for this genus, listen here. These courtship calls are not audible to the human ear, and the calls here are produced by recording the substrate vibrations that the treehoppers use to communicate through the plants themselves. The recorded call is then amplified so that it is now audible to human ears. Research has shown that treehoppers use vibrations to attract mates, to announce the discovery of a good feeding site, or to alert a defending mother to the approach of a predator (T.IM).

Comment: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Microcentrus perditus No Common Name
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Alleghany Co. Comment:	Photo by: Scott Bolick Alleghany Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Alleghany Co. Comment:	Photo by: Scott Bolick Alleghany Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Alleghany Co. Comment:	Photo by: Jim Petranka Madison Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Jim Petranka Madison Co. Comment:	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: male stuck on a tree band on Willow Oak, active between mid December when the band was put up and 1/12
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: male stuck on a tree band on Willow Oak, active between mid December when the band was put up and 1/12	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: dead male stuck on a tree band on Willow Oak
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: dead male stuck on a tree band on Willow Oak	Photo by: Scott Bolick Guilford Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Guilford Co. Comment:	Photo by: Scott Bolick Guilford Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Graham Montgomery Out Of State Co. Comment: male	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: found stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: found stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: found stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: came to UV and CFL light at night	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: came to UV and CFL light at night; female
	Photo by: B. Bockhahn Stokes Co. Comment:	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Light
	Photo by: Matthew S. Wallace Out Of State Co. Comment: female	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light

Microcentrus perditus - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Microcentrus perditus No Common Name