Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Erythroneura vitis - Grapevine Leafhopper

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE	Subfamily: Typhlocybinae	Tribe: Erythroneurini
Taxonomic Author: (Harris, 1831)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist

Description: A very distinctive species that can strongly vary in coloration and pattern. It has a color pattern that can be a combination of red, green, or dark brown. The pronotum, mesonotum, and top of the head are largely dark reddish-brown, with this color extending onto the bases of the wings. The wings have two white wing bands surrounding a 'saddle' that is concolourous with the thorax. The wing pattern itself varies in shape, corresponding with three variations for this species. The nominate form has broad white bands, with the upper band having the outline of three circular shapes that are connected to one another; this form has red lines near the base of the lower white band. Form 'corona', the form most often encountered, has much thinner white bands that are outlined and often broken by red; the saddle in 'corona' is the largest of the three forms. Form 'flava' resembles the first form, but the white bands are much broader and therefore the median saddle is smaller. The face is pale, as is most of the underside of the thorax except for the mesosternum, which is dark. Adults are 2.8-3.1 mm long. (Dmitriev & Dietrich, 2007)

Nymphs have a saddled appearance, ranging in color from orange to dark reddish-brown as the nymph ages.

For more images of this species and the various forms, see: BL.

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: A common and widespread species found throughout eastern and central United States and to the Southwest; also found in southern Canada (3I)

Abundance: Found across the state, with a majority of records in the Piedmont and Upper Coastal Plain where it is locally common; 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 mixed hardwood forest and forest edge.

Plant Associates: Vitis riparia, other Vitis spp. (3I)

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

This species pierces leaf cells to extract the contents, which can cause odd shapes and discoloured areas on the leaf (BG).

Comment: This species could be most confused with form 'stricta' of E. bistrata (this form was actually considered a form of E. vitis for a while). However, note that in bistrata, there are noticeably pointed posterior margins of the median red band, whereas in vitis the bands lack this characteristic. ore importantly though, the apex of the scutellum is dark in vitis, concolorous with the rest of the mesonotum; in bistrata, the apex of the scutellum is whitish, contrasting sharply with the rest of the dark mesonotum. For example, this inidividual of vitis looks just like var. 'stricta' of bistrata, but has a dark apex of the scutellum. In some cases, an ID may not be possible.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

See also Habitat Account for General Vitaceous Tangles

Species Photo Gallery for Erythroneura vitis Grapevine Leafhopper
	Photo by: Simpson Eason Wake Co. Comment:	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Attracted to UV light.
	Photo by: Vin Stanton Buncombe Co. Comment: semi wooded residential neighborhood	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Swain Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52182224 - unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Swain Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52182224 - unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Mark Shields Onslow Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Attracted to UV light. Yard near woods.	Photo by: Randy Emmitt Orange Co. Comment: I’ve light
	Photo by: T. DeSantis Durham Co. Comment: ENRI	Photo by: T. DeSantis Durham Co. Comment: ENRI
	Photo by: R Emmitt Orange Co. Comment: on moth sheet	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Hardwood forest, attracted to black light.
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: open forest habitat, near mixed hardwoods; on a lawn	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: open forest habitat, near mixed hardwoods; on a lawn
	Photo by: T. DeSantis Camden Co. Comment: DISW	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat; a greener individual
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf, Patrick Coin Halifax Co. Comment: grassy area and mixed hardwood forest edge near pine forest; some reddish individuals	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf, Patrick Coin Halifax Co. Comment: grassy area and mixed hardwood forest edge near pine forest
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light

Erythroneura vitis - Grapevine Leafhopper

Species Photo Gallery for Erythroneura vitis Grapevine Leafhopper