Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Plesiommata tripunctata - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE	Subfamily: Cicadellinae	Synonym: Provancherana tripunctata
Taxonomic Author: (Fitch, 1851)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist Google
Description: An unmistakeable species with a very distinct pattern. Adults have a white body with black wing veins and black lines on top of the thorax and on the front of the face. In addition, there are two noticeable black dots on top of the head between the eyes and one large black dot on the side of each eye. Adults are a little larger than 5mm in length. Nymphs are pale yellowish-green in color and show the distinctive pattern of the adults, with the two black dots between the eyes and the large black dot on the side of each eye.

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: A widespread species found in Eastern North America, with records from Texas to the Northeast (per Bugguide). BG

Abundance: A locally common species in the state, uncommon overall, with scattered records across all three regions, mostly from the Piedmont and mountains. Possibly more common in the right habitat.

Seasonal Occurrence

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: In NC this species usually occurs in grassy habitats, including among pine trees, mixed hardwood forests, and even in parking lots. Can also occur in brushy habitats.

Plant Associates: Unknown

Behavior: This species can be attracted to a sheet with a black light.

Comment: Very little information is known about the biology of this species, and until recently its nymphs were unknown. Some of the pics below represent the first photographs of nymphs of this species.

Most authors treat this species as belonging to the genus Plesiommata. However, Provancher's description for this species was apparently a misidentified Aphrophora spittlebug. As a result, A. Hamilton replaced Plesiommata with Provancherana. This name though is not followed by most authors in the field, and a neotype needs to be designated to clarify any discrepancies. Therefore, we will follow most authors and use Plesiommata for the time being.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Plesiommata tripunctata No Common Name
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Caught sweeping in a weedy, grassy field.	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: sweep through vegetation in a wet area, cattails and Persicaria dominant	Photo by: John Petranka Orange Co. Comment: New Hope Creek Biodiversity Survey
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Caught sweeping. Weedy field.	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Caught sweeping. Weedy field.
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Swain Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/53113737	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Swain Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52625385
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Halifax Co. Comment: grassy road among pine tree forest	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Halifax Co. Comment: grassy area and mixed hardwood forest edge
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Caught sweeping	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Surry Co. Comment: Caught Sweeping
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Surry Co. Comment: Caught Sweeping	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Orange Co. Comment: Field habitat with a sweetgum edge. A nymph, showing the distinctive color pattern of the adult. One of a several pics of a nymph of this species.
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Orange Co. Comment: Field habitat with a sweetgum edge. A nymph, showing the distinctive color pattern of the adult. One of only several pics of a nymph of this species.	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: NYMPH, Caught Sweeping
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: NYMPH, Caught Sweeping	Photo by: Paul Scharf, Kyle Kittlelberger, Brian Bockhahn Halifax Co. Comment: Found on short cut grass
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf Vance Co. Comment: grassy/brushy/pine habitat	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: counted 15 along a 20m transect through a mowed area of mixed grass and vegetation adjacent to a meadow, later 10 in 1m2 in wet mowed area mixed with sphagnum-like moss
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: counted 15 along a 20m transect through a mowed area of mixed grass and vegetation adjacent to a meadow, later 10 in 1m2 in wet mowed area mixed with sphagnum-like moss	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: counted 15 along a 20m transect through a mowed area of mixed grass and vegetation adjacent to a meadow, later 10 in 1m2 in wet mowed area mixed with sphagnum-like moss
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: 5.1 mm male, forest edge with small lawn and meadow nearby	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: 5.1 mm male, forest edge with small lawn and meadow nearby
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: male, 5.5 mm, several flushing from overgrown lawn and meadow border during day	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Swain Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52528500	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Swain Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52211881 - unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Swain Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52211873 - unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Swain Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52211873 - unid_leafhopper

Plesiommata tripunctata - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Plesiommata tripunctata No Common Name