Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

DELPHACIDAE Members:	NC Records
Megamelus davisi - Common Waterlily Planthopper

Taxonomy

Family: DELPHACIDAE	Subfamily: Delphacinae	Tribe: Delphacini
Taxonomic Author: Van Duzee, 1897

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist

Description: Beamer notes that this species is dark brown in color, with the lobes of the ninth abdomenal segment black. Both brachypterous males and females are dark brown, sometimes blackish, though there are two interrupted lines of pale spots spanning the abdomen. Adult brachypters though can be fairly light in color, with dark abdominal and lateral bands. The crown is more than twice as long as the apical width and project about a third its length in front of the eyes. The frons is brown to dark brown in both males and females, and the antennal segments are dark. Brachypterous males are 3.2 mm long while females are 3.8 mm (Beamer, 1955). Macropterous individuals are black, sometimes showing a thin pale middorsal stripe down the head and thorax. There is a small black spot on the middle of the inner margin of the wings; the base of the wings are also black. The antennal segments are light brown though. See here for images of a pinned macropterous male: BG.

Nymphs are yellow with dark brown markings, though individuals that overwinter are dark brown to grayish with light brown and pale yellow markings (W & M, 1981).

For additional images of this species, see: BG.

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 United States; introduced in Hawaii (UDEL)

Abundance: Can be locally abundant, recorded from three counties in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain; probably 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: Has been found in grassy areas near mixed hardwood forest. Areas where water lilies occur.

Plant Associates: Water lily (Nymphaea spp.), American white water lily (Nymphaea odorata Aiton as Castalia odorata); pond lily (Nuphar advena; Nymphaeaceae); Pontederia cordata (Pontederiaceae); alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides: Amaranthaceae) (UDEL)

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: M. davisi overwinters as a 5th instar nymph in leaf litter along the shore near waterlilies (or other host plants). Eggs are parasitized by mymarid wasps and adults are parasitized by a pipunculid fly, Pipunculus varius. Nymphs are preyed upon by a water treader, Mesovelia mulsanti. For more information and descriptions of the various nymph instars of this species, see: W & M, 1981.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

See also Habitat Account for General Herbaceous Ponds

Species Photo Gallery for Megamelus davisi Common Waterlily Planthopper
	Photo by: Samuel Ray Wake Co. Comment: Nymphs were scattered across several Spatterdock leaves in stagnant water.	Photo by: Samuel Ray Wake Co. Comment: Nymphs were scattered across several Spatterdock leaves in stagnant water.
	Photo by: Samuel Ray Wake Co. Comment: Nymphs were scattered across several Spatterdock leaves in stagnant water.	Photo by: Samuel Ray Wake Co. Comment: Scattered across several Spatterdock leaves in stagnant water.
	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: malernphotos provided by C.R. Bartlett	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: malernphotos provided by C.R. Bartlett
	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: malernphotos provided by C.R. Bartlett	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: femalerncollection date unknownrnphotos provided by C.R. Bartlett
	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: femalerncollection date unknownrnphotos provided by C.R. Bartlett	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: femalerncollection date unknownrnphotos provided by C.R. Bartlett
	Photo by: Rebeccah Cope Wake Co. Comment: brachypters	Photo by: Rebeccah Cope Wake Co. Comment: brachypters
	Photo by: Rebeccah Cope Wake Co. Comment: brachypters	Photo by: Rebeccah Cope Wake Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Wake Co. Comment: grassy habitat	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Wake Co. Comment: grassy habitat
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Wake Co. Comment: grassy habitat

Megamelus davisi - Common Waterlily Planthopper

Species Photo Gallery for Megamelus davisi Common Waterlily Planthopper