Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

ACHILIDAE Members:	NC Records
Catonia carolina - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: ACHILIDAE
Taxonomic Author: (Metcalf, 1923)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: A grayish brown species with highly mottled wings that sometimes have a faint U-shaped transverse brown band. The thorax tends to be a fairly dark brown, and the wing veins are pale with small black spots along their length; the venation near the wing tips is bold, lacking black spots. The underside tends to be a pale brownish color, and the face is pale yellowish-brown in color. There are two pale white bands across the face: a typically incomplete band in the middle, between the base of the eyes, and an incomplete one along the edge of the clypeus. The clypeus itself is concolorous with the rest of the frons. Adults range in length from 3.1-5.8 mm. (O'Brien, 1971)

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: Eastern and Central United States (UDEL)

Abundance: Recorded across the state, with a majority of records from the Piedmont and Coastal Plain; can be locally abundant where found.

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, open forest, and forest edge.

Plant Associates: Thespesia grandiflora (Malvaceae; as Montezuma speciosissima), Inga vera (river koko, Fabaceae), Piper aduncum (Piperaceae) (UDEL)

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: The wing pattern of C. carolina very closely resembles that of C. lunata, so a picture of the face pattern is necessary in distinguishing these two species. The face of lunata is noticeably darker than that of carolina, being orange-brown with a bold, broad white transverse band in the middle; carolina has a paler face lacking highly contrasting colorful bands; instead, there is an incomplete white band across the middle of an otherwise yellowish-brown face.

This species is also similar to C. pumila, which too has a similar wing color and pattern. In order to best distinguish the two species, the size and face pattern are important. C. pumila is [typically] noticeably smaller than C. carolina: see a nice comparison here. The face of C. pumila can vary from being a light uniform yellowish-brown with no markings to having light brown markings with a faint, broad pale band across the middle of the face (UDEL). It is therefore necessary to photograph the face to make an identification possible among individuals that may represent one of these species.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Catonia carolina No Common Name
	Photo by: Mark Shields Onslow Co. Comment:	Photo by: Mark Shields Onslow Co. Comment:
	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, 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 Wake Co. Comment: open habitat near mixed hardwood forest edge; on a lawn
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: open habitat near mixed hardwood forest edge; on a lawn	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: open habitat near mixed hardwood forest edge; on a lawn
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: open habitat near mixed hardwood forest edge; on a lawn	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, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: mixed hardwood, open forest near lake edge
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: mixed hardwood, open forest near lake edge	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: mixed hardwood, open forest near lake edge
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: mixed hardwood, open forest near lake edge	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: These are fairly common in Aug and are attracted to the Black Light. However, a facial photo is required for positive ID. Several observed and photographed 12 & 13 Aug 2013
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: These are fairly common in Aug and are attracted to the Black Light. However, a facial photo is required for positive ID. Several observed and photographed 12 & 13 Aug 2013

Catonia carolina - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Catonia carolina No Common Name