Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

MEMBRACIDAE Members:	NC Records
Cyrtolobus maculifrontis - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: MEMBRACIDAE

Subfamily: Smiliinae

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: Adults range in color from reddish to whitish-yellow. This species seems to have a lot of variety in the coloration and pattern of the pronotum, but the pronotal shape and the fact that there doesn't seem to be an apical dark spot on the wing is pretty consistent with this species (M. Rothschild pers. comment). In fully marked individuals, there is a prominent blackish path near the front of the pronotum, sometimes reduced to a smaller black patch on each side of the eye; this black patch though is characteristic of this species. However, some individuals of this species can lack any sign of a black frontal mark on the pronotum. These paler individuals though have the characteristic streamlined look of this species, and also feature two prominent pale transverse bands on the posterior half of the pronotum; the pronotum lacks a prominent crest. The face is pale and coarsely punctured. There is also typically an apical dark spot on the wings, but this can lack in some individuals. Adults are around 6 mm long. (Kopp)

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, as far west as Colorado (Kopp)

Abundance: Uncommon to locally common, recorded from a handful of counties across the state. Seasonal distribution: 23 April- August (CTNC)

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Has been found in brushy habitat near forest edge and near mixed hardwood forest; where oaks are present.

Plant Associates: Quercus alba, Q. falcata (CTNC); also on Q. stellata and Q. rubra (CTGSMNP)

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.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

See also Habitat Account for General Oak-Hickory Forests

Species Photo Gallery for Cyrtolobus maculifrontis No Common Name
	Photo by: Solomon Hendrix Wake Co. Comment:	Photo by: Solomon Hendrix Wake Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Solomon Hendrix Wake Co. Comment:	Photo by: Solomon Hendrix Wake Co. Comment:
	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: Scott Bolick Alleghany Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Alleghany Co. Comment:	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Came to UV light. Suburban yard near woods.
	Photo by: Vin Stanton Buncombe Co. Comment: semi-wooded residential neighborhood	Photo by: Vin Stanton Buncombe Co. Comment: semi-wooded residential neighborhood
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Gates Co. Comment: collected by B. Bockhahn; males	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Gates Co. Comment: collected by B. Bockhahn; males
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Gates Co. Comment: collected by B. Bockhahn; males	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Gates Co. Comment: collected by B. Bockhahn; males
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Gates Co. Comment: collected by B. Bockhahn; males	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: attracted at night with a light; female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: attracted at night with a light; female	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Surry Co. Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge & forest; female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Surry Co. Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge & forest; female	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to UV Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to UV Light	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to UV Light
	Photo by: B. Bockhahn Gates Co. Comment:	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Surry Co. Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge & forest; female

Cyrtolobus maculifrontis - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Cyrtolobus maculifrontis No Common Name