Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

MEMBRACIDAE Members:	NC Records
Heliria gibberata - No Common Name

No image for this species.

Taxonomy

Family: MEMBRACIDAE	Subfamily: Smiliinae	Tribe: Telamonini
Taxonomic Author: (Ball, 1925)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: A pale creamy to brownish, mottled species with a prominent pronotal crest that is peaked in the front and, in most specimens, protrudes forward slightly. Adults have a very broad front of the pronotum, extending well to the side of the eyes. Males are 8 to 10.5 mm long while females are 10 to 11.0 mm long, 7 mm wide, and have a height of 5 mm. (Kopp & Yonke 1974)

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: Rare, only recorded from a couple counties in the Piedmont and mountains. Seasonal distribution: 23 May-late June (CTNC)

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats:

Plant Associates: Celtis occidentalis (common hackberry) (CTNC); adults have been found on Carpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam) and Quercus alba (white oak) (Wallace 2014).

Behavior:

Comment: This species is closest to Heliria gibberata and in some cases they may not be distinguishable, as some specimens have characteristics of both species. H. cornutula feeds on sweetgum while H. gibberata feeds on hackberry. Additionally, in H. gibberata the pronotum tends to protrude slightly, a feature characteristic of most specimens of this species. (M. Wallace pers. comments)

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

See also Habitat Account for Rich Wet-Dry Hardwood Forests

Heliria gibberata - No Common Name