Hoppers of North Carolina:
Spittlebugs, Leafhoppers, Treehoppers, and Planthoppers
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MEMBRACIDAE Members: NC Records

Stictocephala militaris - No Common Name


© Kyle Kittelberger- side view
© Kyle Kittelberger- facial view
© Kyle Kittelberger
© Kyle Kittelberger- nymph
Taxonomy
Family: MEMBRACIDAESubfamily: SmiliinaeSynonym: Ceresa militaris
Taxonomic Author: Van Duzee
Identification
Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF                                                                                  
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
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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

Species Photo Gallery for Stictocephala militaris No Common Name

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