Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

ISSIDAE Members:	NC Records
Thionia bullata - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: ISSIDAE

Subfamily: Issinae

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: A brownish species with dark wing markings, usually with a prominent "U" or torus-shaped dark mark near the rear of the wings. This species has a characteristic vertex (top of the head) that is slightly longer than wide when viewed dorsally, and relatively flat (sometimes with slighly raised but parallel lateral margins of the vertex) when viewed from the front. Adults are 6.4 to 7.6 mm long (UDEL). Nymphs are greenish overall, with two golden stripes going down the middle of the back. The sides of the body are dark-brown to blackish in color, distinctive for this species. For more information about the nymphs and their various instar stages, see W & W 1988.

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: Eastern and central North America

Abundance: Recorded across the state, with a majority of records from the Piedmont where it is uncommon to locally common. Probably more abundant in the right habitat.

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Found in grassy, shrubby areas and mixed hardwood forest edge; where plant associates are located.

Plant Associates: Described from Pinus taeda (Loblolly pine, Pinaceae), P. echinata (Shortleaf pine), P. virginiana (Virginia pine) (UDEL); also reported from oaks (Quercus) and Sweetgum

Behavior:

Comment: This species can be most similar to T. elliptica. Charles Bartlett notes "elliptica has a much shorter vertex (described as wider than long) and bullata is slightly longer than wide; also in frontal view elliptica has the lateral margins of the vertex keeled, whereas in frontal view bullata is essentially flat. Elliptica is also more robust than bullata" (BG). This species is also similar to the adults of T. quinquata, which have a more angled, chevron-like vertex.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Thionia bullata - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Thionia bullata No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Thionia bullata No Common Name
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Caught sweeping.
	Photo by: Erich Hofmann New Hanover Co. Comment:	Photo by: Erich Hofmann New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Guilford Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/118279831	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Guilford Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/118279831
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Guilford Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/118279887	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Guilford Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/118279920
	Photo by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther Craven Co. Comment:	Photo by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther Craven Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Forsyth Co. Comment:	Photo by: Scott Bolick Forsyth Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Forsyth Co. Comment:	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.8 mm, dead, stuck on a tree band on Willow Oak
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.8 mm, dead, stuck on a tree band on Willow Oak	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.8 mm, dead, stuck on a tree band on Willow Oak
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.8 mm, dead, stuck on a tree band on Willow Oak	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6.8 mm male on knee-high vegetation at edge of detention basin
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6.8 mm male on knee-high vegetation at edge of detention basin	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Hunter Phillips, Cathy Songer Wayne Co. Comment:	Photo by: Randy L Emmitt Orange Co. Comment: hanging on sheet.
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Orange Co. Comment: Charles Bartlett notes "One thing that is interesting on that specimen is that there is a dark almost-donut-shaped (torus-shaped) marking in the distal part of the forewing - Metcalf (1923) interpreted specimens marked this way as Thionia ocellata Melichar (from Mexico); but I am sure it is just bullata with a dark wing marking." Found near a field with a sweetgum edge.	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Wake Co. Comment: grassy and field-type habitat
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Orange Co. Comment: Charles Bartlett notes "One thing that is interesting on that specimen is that there is a dark almost-donut-shaped (torus-shaped) marking in the distal part of the forewing - Metcalf (1923) interpreted specimens marked this way as Thionia ocellata Melichar (from Mexico); but I am sure it is just bullata with a dark wing marking." Found near a field with a sweetgum edge.	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf Gates Co. Comment: grassy, brushy habitat and mixed hardwood, cypress forest
	Photo by: Paul Scharf, B Bockhahn Stanly Co. Comment: Caught sweeping	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf Gates Co. Comment: grassy, brushy habitat and mixed hardwood, cypress forest
	Photo by: Paul Scharf, B Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: Caught sweeping	Photo by: Paul Scharf, B Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: Caught sweeping
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Vance Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest, open forest, grassy patches	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Vance Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest, open forest, grassy patches
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Vance Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest, open forest, grassy patches	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Vance Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest, open forest, grassy patches
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Vance Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest, open forest, grassy patches	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Orange Co. Comment: Charles Bartlett notes "One thing that is interesting on that specimen is that there is a dark almost-donut-shaped (torus-shaped) marking in the distal part of the forewing - Metcalf (1923) interpreted specimens marked this way as Thionia ocellata Melichar (from Mexico); but I am sure it is just bullata with a dark wing marking." Found near a field with a sweetgum edge.
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Orange Co. Comment: Charles Bartlett notes "One thing that is interesting on that specimen is that there is a dark almost-donut-shaped (torus-shaped) marking in the distal part of the forewing - Metcalf (1923) interpreted specimens marked this way as Thionia ocellata Melichar (from Mexico); but I am sure it is just bullata with a dark wing marking." Found near a field with a sweetgum edge.	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Orange Co. Comment: Charles Bartlett notes "One thing that is interesting on that specimen is that there is a dark almost-donut-shaped (torus-shaped) marking in the distal part of the forewing - Metcalf (1923) interpreted specimens marked this way as Thionia ocellata Melichar (from Mexico); but I am sure it is just bullata with a dark wing marking." Found near a field with a sweetgum edge.
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Wake Co. Comment: grassy and field-type habitat	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Wake Co. Comment: grassy and field-type habitat
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Wake Co. Comment: grassy and field-type habitat