Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Eratoneura comoides - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE	Subfamily: Typhlocybinae	Tribe: Erythroneurini
Taxonomic Author: (Ross & DeLong, 1953)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: A reddish-orange species with a bold zigzag pattern on the wings and body. The top of the head has two parallel orange submedial lines, often with a lateral ranch (resulting in the appearance of a white spot on the side of each line); the midline is pale. The pronotum has a Y or V-shaped orange/red mark and concolorous bars on the lateral margins. The scutellum has reddish-orange lateral triangles, connected in a point at the scutellal base. The large white wing patches below the scutellum are noticeably divided rather than connected to form a single white spot, characteristic of this species. The wing pattern is interconnected, with all wing markings touching other wing markings. Adults are 2.8- 3.0 mm long. (3I)

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: Southeastern United States, from Mississippi to North Carolina; previously only known as far north as Georgia, perhaps climate change is expanding this species northward. (3I)

Abundance: Recorded from a handful of counties in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, where is is uncommon; probably more abundant in the right habitat, especially in these two regions.

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 habitat.

Plant Associates: Oak: Quercus nigra, Quercus phellos, Quercus pagoda (3I)

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: This species is similar in appearance to many of the Erythroneura species "with interconnected orange lines." All have interconnected orange wing markings, however there are differences in the pattern and the markings themselves. The prominent white patch below the scutellum, surrounded by orange, is clearly divided, with the orange usually lining the entire inner margin of the wing in E. comoides; in the Erythroneura group, this white patch is largely circular, with no orange lining the inner margin of the wings. Additionally, the orange mark that is inside the white "diamond" shape near the tip of the wings is shaped like an downwards facing arrow, being noticeably long and pointed and extending up into the top white patch in E. comoides, and shaped like a squat trapezoid in the Erythroneura group. The orange submedial lines on the vertex tend to have a distinct branch extending outwards (gives the impression of a white spot on each side of the line) while the Erythroneura group tends to lack these branches. And finally, the pattern itself is typically much more bold and a vibrant orange in E. comoides.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

See also Habitat Account for General Wet Hardwood Forests

Species Photo Gallery for Eratoneura comoides No Common Name
	Photo by: Erich Hofmann New Hanover Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/59385860	Photo by: Erich Hofmann New Hanover Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/59385860
	Photo by: Erich Hofmann New Hanover Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/59385860	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Attracted to UV light. Suburban yard near woods.
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Attracted to UV light. Suburban yard near woods.	Photo by: Mark Shields Onslow Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: near mixed hardwood forest	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: near mixed hardwood forest
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf Gates Co. Comment: open, grassy area near mixed hardwood forest	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf Gates Co. Comment: open, grassy area near mixed hardwood forest
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf Gates Co. Comment: open, grassy area near mixed hardwood forest	Photo by: Paul Scharf, B Bockhahn, L. Amos Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to UV Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf, B Bockhahn, L. Amos Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to UV Light	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf, Patrick Coin Halifax Co. Comment: grassy area and mixed hardwood forest edge near pine forest

Eratoneura comoides - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Eratoneura comoides No Common Name