Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

MEMBRACIDAE Members:	NC Records
Cyrtolobus puritanus - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: MEMBRACIDAE	Subfamily: Smiliinae
Taxonomic Author: Woodruff, 1924

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: A smaller species than most members in this genus found in NC. Females have a moderately elevated pronotal crest and are a dark reddish brown color with pale, dirty transverse bands. The mid-dorsal spot on the pronotum is broad, deep, and squarish in shape. The face between the eyes is broader than long, is hairy and a dull reddish color, and is sparsely covered with small pink punctures. The pronotum is strongly compressed at the middle for at least half of its height. The body beneath is reddish and the forewings are a dingy hyaline with yellowish veins; the wing tip has a slight smoky color to it. The male is like the female but with a lower crest and smaller body size. Males have a darker color, with bold white markings contrasting with an otherwise black pronotum. The face is reddish with brown and black punctures. The underside and abdominal segments are black, with genital segments pale. The forewings are clear hyaline with a smudgy tip; veins are blackish. Legs are pale with black bases. Adult males are 4.1 mm long, females are 4.4 mm. (Kopp)

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: Eastern and central North America (Kopp)

Abundance: Several records from the Piedmont and mountains. Seasonal distribution: 26 May-20 July (CTNC)

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; where oaks are present.

Plant Associates: Quercus sp.

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:

Species Photo Gallery for Cyrtolobus puritanus No Common Name
	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: Erich Hofmann Craven Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/76957759
	Photo by: Erich Hofmann Craven Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/76957759	Photo by: Erich Hofmann Craven Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/76957759
	Photo by: Erich Hofmann Craven Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/76957759	Photo by: Matthew S. Wallace Out Of State Co. Comment: female
	Photo by: Matthew S. Wallace Out Of State Co. Comment: male	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: open area near mixed hardwood forest and a pond
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: open area near mixed hardwood forest and a pond	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: open area near mixed hardwood forest and a pond
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: open area near mixed hardwood forest and a pond

Cyrtolobus puritanus - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Cyrtolobus puritanus No Common Name