Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

MEMBRACIDAE Members:	NC Records
Smilia fasciata - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: MEMBRACIDAE	Subfamily: Smiliinae	Tribe: Smiliini
Taxonomic Author: (Amyot & Serville, 1843)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist

Description: A dark brown to blackish species. In this species, the pronotal crest is fairly rounded and peaks centrally above the body rather than more directly above the head/eyes. The pronotum is higher in females rather than in males. Females have a brownish pronotum with a broad diagonal stripe that is either green or yellowish, followed by a white spot; however, females can vary considerably in color, with some having rather broad stripes and others lacking the colored stripe all together. Males, smaller than females, have a dark brown to blackish (usually blackish) pronotum with the same colored stripe (ranging from white to yellowish-green) as in the female, which can also vary in width or be absent. The forewings are hyaline with brown bases and apices. The undersurface of the body is dark and the legs are yellowish. Males are 7 to 8 mm long, while females are 9 mm. (FSCA)

Nymphs are mostly green with a distinct hump-shaped appearance to the pronotum, which has a darkened edge to it. The lateral margins of the wing buds are also darkened. The eyes are typically reddish.

This species can be differentiated from S. camelus by the differences in shape and size of the pronotum. In S. camelus, the crest peaks above the eyes and [typically] is both much larger and taller. In fasciata, the crest is more rounded and peaks more centrally above the body. The pronotal stripe is also usually broader in S. camelus, but this is not always true.

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: Mainly the Southeastern United States, west to Texas (BG)

Abundance: Uncommon in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Seasonal distribution: 2 April-5 September (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; where oak is present.

Plant Associates: Carya illinoinensis, Quercus coccinea, Q. falcata, Q. nigra, Q. palustris, Q. phellos, Q. stellata, Q. velutina (CTNC)

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:

See also Habitat Account for General Oak-Hickory Forests

Species Photo Gallery for Smilia fasciata No Common Name
	Photo by: Erich Hofmann, David George, Rich Teper, Jeff Niznik New Hanover Co. Comment:	Photo by: Erich Hofmann, David George, Rich Teper, Jeff Niznik New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band on oak, alive	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: alive female stuck on a tree band
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: stuck on a tree band on Quercus phellos; the 5 individuals were seen among roughly 50 trees checked	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Came to UV light. Suburban yard near woods.
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Came to UV light. Suburban yard near woods.	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Came to UV light. Suburban yard near woods.
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: male, on Willow Oak, Quercus phellos, stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band, others of both sexes nearby to be submitted separately	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6.5 mm stuck in Tanglefoot on oak tree band
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6.5 mm stuck in Tanglefoot on oak tree band	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6.5 mm stuck in Tanglefoot on oak tree band
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6.5 mm stuck in Tanglefoot on oak tree band	Photo by: Andrew Pfeifer Wake Co. Comment: day
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: female on a tree band on oak	Photo by: B. Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: MARI
	Photo by: Stan Giliam Guilford Co. Comment:	Photo by: David Guzman Wake Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat

Smilia fasciata - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Smilia fasciata No Common Name