Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

MEMBRACIDAE Members:	NC Records
Cyrtolobus pallidifrontis - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: MEMBRACIDAE	Subfamily: Smiliinae
Taxonomic Author: (Emmons)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: Males are dark, with a blackish-brown pronotum with two white transverse bands and a white mid-dorsal mark. The pronotum is low in this species, with a minimal crest, and is actually lower than most other Cyrtolobus. The apices of the wings in both sexes are dark brown, and in females there is a characteristic dark band across the center of the wings. Females have a reddish-brown pronotum with some greenish-gray mottling, and the front of the pronotum is noticeably lighter in color (a useful characteristic distinguishing females from other species). Eyes are prominent and brown, and the ocelli (light-sensing organ) are large, reddish, and prominent as well. The underside of the body is a grayish-yellow color, and the legs are usually black (a key characteristic in females). Adults are around 5.8 mm long. (Kopp), (M. Rothschild pers. comments)

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 and central North America, as far west as Colorado (Kopp)

Abundance: Uncommon, recorded across the state with most records from the Piedmont. Seasonal distribution: 29 April- 26 July (CTNC), with one atypical record in August.

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 and forest edge; where oak is present.

Plant Associates: Quercus alba, Q. stellata (CTNC); also on Q. rubra (CTGSMNP)

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.

This species could be confused with C. gramatanus, which is slightly more compact, typically does not have dark legs and is not quite as pale on the front of the pronotum. The dark area of the wings is also typically not as prominent. (M. Rothschild pers. comments)

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

See also Habitat Account for General Oak-Hickory Forests

Cyrtolobus pallidifrontis - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Cyrtolobus pallidifrontis No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Cyrtolobus pallidifrontis No Common Name
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_treehopper
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest; male, 5.3 mm	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest; male, 5.3 mm
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest; male, 5.3 mm	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest; male, 5.3 mm
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest; male, 5.3 mm	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest; male, 5.3 mm
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_treehopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_treehopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_treehopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_treehopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_treehopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_treehopper
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Alleghany Co. Comment:	Photo by: Scott Bolick Alleghany Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Alleghany Co. Comment:	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: forest edge with small lawn and meadow nearby
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: forest edge with small lawn and meadow nearby	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: forest edge with small lawn and meadow nearby
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: forest edge with small lawn and meadow nearby	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: forest edge with small lawn and meadow nearby
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to UV Light	Photo by: Matthew S. Wallace Out Of State Co. Comment: female
	Photo by: Matthew S. Wallace Out Of State Co. Comment: male	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Female. Attracted to UV Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Female. Attracted to UV Light	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Female. Attracted to UV Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to UV Light	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to UV Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf, B Bockhahn Stanly Co. Comment: Attracted to UV Light	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat; a dark individual, but has characteristic dark patch on middle of wing
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat