Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Erythridula pfrimmeri - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE

Subfamily: Typhlocybinae

Tribe: Erythroneurini

Synonym: Arboridia pfrimmeri

Taxonomic Author: (Hepner, 1977)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: This species has the blackest mesonotum of any species in this genus; in fact, the mesonotum is so dark that it shows through the pronotum, essentially resulting in a large continuous black patch on the thorax over the scutellum and pronotum. The rest of the body is a pale, whitish color with yellow or reddish-orange lines/marks; the variation in line color is age related, with sexually mature individuals having darker (red) marks. The face is pale, as is the underside of the thorax except for the mesosternum which is dark. The abdomen is dark dorsally. Adults are 2.8-3.0 mm long. (Dmitriev & Dietrich, 2009) For more images of this species, see: BG.

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: Eastern United States; very rare across its range

Abundance: This species has been recorded from a few counties in both the Piedmont and mountains. In Wake county, this species has been found to be locally common (at a single location). Likely a rare to uncommon species in the state, possibly found elsewhere 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.

Plant Associates: Ulmus alata, Acer pensylvanicum, Quercus nigra, Q. pagodafoliae, Ilex decidua (3I)

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: This is one of several species that have a dark scutellum, and therefore it could be confused with others. These species with a dark scutellum, in order from most to least dark, are: pfrimmeri (BG), penenoeva (BG), noeva (BG), and aspera. E. pfrimmeri and penenoeva have completely dark scutellums, but in the former the scutellum is blackish whereas in the latter it tends to be a dark chestnut-brown color. Additionally, the black mesonotum is visible through the pronotum in pfrimmeri; in penenoeva, the mesonotum does not appear through as dark. E. noeva has a chestnut to reddish-brown scutellum that has dark lateral triangles, contrasting with the black scutellum of pfrimmeri, but like pfrimmeri the dark mesonotum shows through the pronotum. While the scutellum coloration may be similar between E. noeva and E. penenoeva, besides the previously stated differences in the mesonotum being visible through the pronotum, noeva seems to lack small black dots or smudges near the apical veins, whereas penenoeva can have these spots. E. aspera has a brown to dark brown scutellum, and in var. 'kanensis' the upper apical cell of each wing is dark. Finally, E. noeva has a pale abdomen dorsally, whereas the other three species have dark abdomens dorsally.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Erythridula pfrimmeri No Common Name
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Randolph Co. Comment:	Photo by: Scott Bolick Randolph Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Attracted to UV light. Yard near woods.	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Attracted to UV light. Yard near woods.
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest; a very rare species, and more sexually mature individual	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat; a very rare species
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat; a young individual due to the yellow color	Photo by: Bockhahn, Scharf Burke Co. Comment: LAJA - 2014 BioBlitz Attracted to Black Light
	Photo by: Bockhahn, Scharf Burke Co. Comment: LAJA - 2014 BioBlitz Attracted to Black Light	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: near mixed hardwood forest
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: near mixed hardwood forest

Erythridula pfrimmeri - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Erythridula pfrimmeri No Common Name