Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CIXIIDAE Members:	NC Records
Melanoliarus vicarius - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: CIXIIDAE	Tribe: Pentastirini
Taxonomic Author: (Walker, 1851)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: General appearance resembles M. quinquelineatus: "The vertex and mesonotum are fuscous to castaneous in color, with the mesonotal carinae typically concolorous but sometimes a dull orange. The vertex is moderately broad and variable, with the median length typically about equal to the width of the apex of the posterior emargination. The face is usually fuscous to brown in color, sometimes castaneous, with prominent carinae that range from brown to orange. The frons is moderately narrow with the width greater than the median length. The wings are highly variable in color, being almost immaculate in some specimens and variously banded and spotted with fuscous in other specimens. Well-marked individuals have two or three spots in the costal cells. The wing venation is typically pale except where brown spotting or banding occurs." The stigma is a distinct brown color but narrower than that of quinquelineatus. Adult males are 6.0 to 8.2 mm long. (Mead & Kramer, 1982)

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: Primarily Souteastern United States (UDEL)

Abundance: Recorded from several counties in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats:

Plant Associates: Collected from woody plants, including Quercus laevis, Galactia elliottii, Psidium quajava, and Pinus sp. (Mead & Kramer, 1982)

"Nymphs of cixiids are subterranean, feeding on roots and possibly fungi. The significance of adult host records is unclear. Many cixiids are presumed to be polyphagous (as adults), most often on woody plants." (UDEL)

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: This may be the most difficult genus of planthoppers, perhaps even hoppers to identify in North Carolina. This species is most similar to M. quinquelineatus, and together quinquelineatus and vicarius form a complex/cluster within Melanoliarus. These two species are unlikely, as of right now, to be distinguishable by photo alone and instead need to be dissected, but vicarius does tend to be longer and have wings that are more highly colored. There are also slight differences in the male genitalia of these two closely related species: see Mead & Kramer, 1982 for additional information on these differences.

Mead & Kramer note that this species is likely univoltine (having a single brood).

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Melanoliarus vicarius - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Melanoliarus vicarius No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Melanoliarus vicarius No Common Name
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 7.3 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 7.3 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 7.3 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 7.3 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 7.3 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 7.2 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 7.2 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 7.2 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 7.2 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 7.2 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 7.2 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 7.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 7.1 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 7.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 7.1 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 7.1 mm	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: PSUC_FEM 000066890rndate unknown; collected some time in 1968rndet. C.R. Bartlettrnmale
	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: PSUC_FEM 000066890rndate unknown; collected some time in 1968rndet. C.R. Bartlettrnmale	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: PSUC_FEM 000066890rndate unknown; collected some time in 1968rndet. C.R. Bartlettrnmale
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 8.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 8.1 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 8.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 8.1 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 8.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 8.1 mm