Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

ACHILIDAE Members:	NC Records
Catonia picta - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: ACHILIDAE	Tribe: Plectoderini
Taxonomic Author: (Van Duzee, 1908)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist Google
Description: A very colorful and distinctive hopper with reddish-brown to orange wings with a prominent grayish-white transverse band; the thorax and head are a vibrant reddish color. The underside of the body is orange-brown, as are the legs. The face is tricolored and distinctive, with the top black, followed by a white band, then black and orange-brown and finally another white band; the clypeus is a pale orange color. Adults are 4.4-5.8 mm long. (O'Brien, 1971)

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: Eastern United States: Atlantic and Gulf Coast states (UDEL)

Abundance: An uncommon species that can be locally abundant in some areas; recorded from the eastern part of the state in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. There is a literature record for Buncombe County, but that seems out of range (as of now).

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.

Plant Associates: Pinus sp. (UDEL); also reported from oak-hickory.

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: This species is most similar to Catonia pini and could be easily confused. Both species have similarly colored wings, but in picta there is a broad central transverse grayish-white band; in pini, this band is instead pale brown. Additionally, there is a lot more variation in the coloration of the wing in pini than picta, with the latter primarily being reddish-brown and grayish-white while the former is a mixture of various browns, black and grayish-white. Additionally, the facial pattern in the two species is quite different: in picta, the frons is black and rufous-brown with a white band, whereas in pini the face is brown with a white band.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Catonia picta No Common Name 12
	Photo by: Solomon Hendrix Wake Co. Comment: attracted to UV light at night near woods edge	Photo by: Morganne Bowers Onslow Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Mark Shields Onslow Co. Comment:	Photo by: Mark Shields Onslow Co. Comment:
	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 Rockingham Co. Comment: grassy area near mixed hardwood forest and a pond
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Caught Sweeping	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Caught Sweeping
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: On Sheet in early morning. Second individual on sheet 2200 on 2013/08/09	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: On Sheet in early morning. Second individual on sheet 2200 on 2013/08/09

Catonia picta - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Catonia picta No Common Name 12