Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

MEMBRACIDAE Members:	NC Records
Stictocephala militaris - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: MEMBRACIDAE	Subfamily: Smiliinae	Synonym: Ceresa militaris
Taxonomic Author: Van Duzee

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist Google
Description: A greenish species with prominent horns that are reddish-brown. The pronotum has a reddish ridge, and there is whitish speckling across the pronotum. The eyes can also be red, and the legs are green. Nymphs are green, characteristic of many Ceresine species. They have forward facing spines that become black and white in later instars; the forward facing spines are not present in many other Stictocephala species.

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: Eastern North America, particularly the Southeast

Abundance: A common species, recorded mainly from the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Seasonal distribution: 19 June-16 October (CTNC)

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Has been found in brushy, grassy habitat near mixed hardwood and pine forest.

Plant Associates: Cercis canadensis, Prunus serotina (CTNC); sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)

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: Many Stictocephala may not be identifiable from an image; this is a very difficult group of treehoppers to identify correctly (for many species). However, S. militaris is apparently the only Ceresine that feeds on sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), so knowing the host plant for nymphs and adults can help indicate individuals are S. militaris rather than other Stictocephala species.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

See also Habitat Account for Sweetgum Groves and Forests

Stictocephala militaris - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Stictocephala militaris No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Stictocephala militaris No Common Name
	Photo by: Solomon Hendrix Wake Co. Comment: attracted to light	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166510663
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166510663	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166510666
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/160661647	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/160661648
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/160661648	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/120257375
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/120257375	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/120257381
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Guilford Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/118279816	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Guilford Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/118279816
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/116495120	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/115645923
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/82748579
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/83075135	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/83075144
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81799986	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81799986
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81239701	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81239703
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/80944265	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/80280889
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/80308386	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/80308390
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/80043998	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/80043998
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/78920681	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/78920702
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/78418074	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/78418074
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/77630892	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/77630892
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/77630896	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/77630896
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/76000929	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/75604670
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/75604672	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/74065214
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/74065214	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43373707
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43373707	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43373707; updated pics by K. Kittelberger on 5/11
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43373707; updated pics by K. Kittelberger on 5/11	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43373707; updated pics by K. Kittelberger on 5/11
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43373707; updated pics by K. Kittelberger on 5/11. Matured to adult on 7/1; photographed and released.	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26634971
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26634971	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26634971
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/42431334	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/42431334
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/42431334	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/42431335
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/48185369	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/48185369
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/48185369	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/48185371
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/48185371	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/48185371
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/46483395	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/46483395
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/46025852	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/46025852
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/46025849	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/46025849
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/46025849	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45919899
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45919899	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45919899
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment:	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment:	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/44789526	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment:	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50708808
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50156664	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50156664
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51144620	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51144620
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51415209	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51415209
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51415209	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Orange Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51415209
	Photo by: Randy Emmitt Orange Co. Comment: UV light	Photo by: Randy L Emmitt Orange Co. Comment: uv light
	Photo by: Randy L Emmitt Orange Co. Comment: uv light	Photo by: Hunter Phillips, Cathy Songer Wayne Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Hunter Phillips, Cathy Songer Wayne Co. Comment:	Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment: unid_treehopper
	Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment: unid_treehopper	Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment: unid_treehopper
	Photo by: R Emmitt Orange Co. Comment: moth lights on the sheet.	Photo by: R Emmitt Orange Co. Comment: moth lights on the sheet.
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Grassy open area.	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat
	Photo by: Paul Scharf , Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahan Halifax Co. Comment: Caught Sweeping	Photo by: Paul Scharf , Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahan Halifax Co. Comment: Caught Sweeping
	Photo by: Paul Scharf, B Bockhahn Stanly Co. Comment: Attracted to UV Light	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf Beaufort Co. Comment: grassy, brushy habitat in a pine dominated forest
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: grassy area near mixed hardwood forest and a pond	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: grassy area near mixed hardwood forest and a pond
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: grassy area near mixed hardwood forest and a pond	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Washington Co. Comment: open forest habitat
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Washington Co. Comment: open forest habitat	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Washington Co. Comment: open forest habitat
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Washington Co. Comment: open forest habitat