Hoppers of North Carolina:
Spittlebugs, Leafhoppers, Treehoppers, and Planthoppers
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MEMBRACIDAE Members: NC Records

Vanduzea arquata - Black Locust Treehopper


© Kyle Kittelberger- male
© Kyle Kittelberger- female
© Kyle Kittelberger- nymph
© Kyle Kittelberger- mass of individuals
Taxonomy
Family: MEMBRACIDAESubfamily: Smiliinae
Identification
Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF  iNaturalist                                                                                  
Description: Males of this species are dark, blackish in color with a small white transverse band at the tip of the pronotum, and a white crescent-shaped mark on each side of the pronotum. The wings have bold, prominent black venation, and the legs and underside are dark. Females are similar to the males, but have a larger crescent-shaped mark and a browner pronotum, particularly on the front. Nymphs are dark overall with some white and brown mottling and small spines on the abdomen.
Distribution in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Distribution: Mostly Eastern North America
Abundance: Most records come from the mountains and Piedmont, where it is locally common. Seasonal distribution: 9 May-27 October (CTNC)
Seasonal Occurrence
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Dec
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Has been found in mixed hardwood forest and forest edge; where Black Locust is present, on which it can typically be found.
Plant Associates: Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) (CTNC). When found on the host plant, this species can occur in high density.
Behavior: To listen to the male courtship call for this genus, listen here. These courtship calls are not audible to the human ear, and the calls here are produced by recording the substrate vibrations that the treehoppers use to communicate through the plants themselves. The recorded call is then amplified so that it is now audible to human ears. Research has shown that treehoppers use vibrations to attract mates, to announce the discovery of a good feeding site, or to alert a defending mother to the approach of a predator (T.IM).
Comment: Can be attracted at night with a light. The species overwintered as eggs which are inserted in the bark of Black Locust near the tree's base. Funkhouser gave the duration of each instar as a range, namely 5-8 days for the first instar, and the remaining instars roughly 3-5, 3-5, 3-6, and 5-10 days. Overall, egg to adult took 18-33 days, and averaged 21 days. This species is frequently tended by ants on Black Locust, specifically ants of the species Formica subsericea. Nymphs tended to by ants have a higher survival rate than those that are not since the ants ward off predators. "Adults, nymphs, and ants live together in an aggregation near the base of a twig, typically in a sunny location. Funkhouser reported that unlike most other treehoppers, this species is most at home on the upper sides of branches; he noted that adults are seldom found on leaves and never on the trunk. It has also been reported that reported that when attacked Vanduzea arquata gives off an alarm pheromone that causes the other hoppers in the aggregation to disperse. Unfortunately for the the attacked hopper, the pheromone is only released when the predator punctures the body wall." (AI)
Status: Native
Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Vanduzea arquata Black Locust Treehopper

Photo by: Rob Van Epps
Buncombe Co.
Comment: On Black Locust		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Rob Van Epps
Iredell Co.
Comment: On Black Locust.
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Many adults and nymphs were grouped together.
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Many adults and nymphs were grouped together.		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Many adults and nymphs were grouped together.
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Many adults and nymphs were grouped together.		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Many adults and nymphs were grouped together.
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Many adults and nymphs were grouped together.		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Many adults and nymphs were grouped together.
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Many adults and nymphs were grouped together.		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Many adults and nymphs were grouped together.
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Scott Bolick
Alleghany Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: F. Williams, S. Williams
Iredell Co.
Comment: LANO
Photo by: Rob Van Epps & Kevin Metcalf
Burke Co.
Comment: Many seen on Black Locust, tended by ants. 		Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman
Scotland Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman
Scotland Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman
Scotland Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Watauga Co.
Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near mixed hardwood forest		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Watauga Co.
Comment: grassy, brushy area on mixed forest edge
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Surry Co.
Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge; adult male, female, and nymph		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Surry Co.
Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge; adult male, female, and nymph
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Surry Co.
Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge; adult male, female, and nymph		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, Paul Scharf
Surry Co.
Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge; adult male, female, and nymph
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Surry Co.
Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge; adult male, female, and nymph		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Surry Co.
Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge; adult male, female, and nymph
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Surry Co.
Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge; adult male, female, and nymph		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Surry Co.
Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge; adult male, female, and nymph
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Surry Co.
Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge; adult male, female, and nymph		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Surry Co.
Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge; adult male, female, and nymph
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Surry Co.
Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge; adult male, female, and nymph