Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

MEMBRACIDAE Members:	NC Records
Ophiderma definita - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: MEMBRACIDAE	Subfamily: Smiliinae
Taxonomic Author: Woodruff, 1919

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: A very slender species with short hair covering the pronotum and face. It has a pale whitish to yellow face with dark punctures, and the eyes and ocelli are red. In males, much of the pronotum is black, with a white transverse band near the rear of the pronotum and a pale, curving band on each side of the pronotum. In females, the pronotum usually is not as dark as that of the male, and much of the front of the pronotum is a pale brownish to reddish color. The wings have dark venation and a dark, blackish spot at the tip. The underside is pale, and the legs are reddish brown with black bases. Adult males are typically 5.0 to 5.5 mm long (though can range lower to about 4.5 mm or slightly above 5.5 mm), while females are 5.5 to 6.2 mm. (Kopp, 1973)

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, west to Texas (Kopp)

Abundance: Seasonal distribution: 23 April-11 September(CTNC)

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Where oaks are present.

Plant Associates: Fagus grandifolia, Quercus falcata, Q. laurifolia, Q. nigra, Q. palustris, Q. phellos (CTNC); also from Q. rubra, Q. imbricaria (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: This species is most similar to O. pubescens, especially the male, and some individuals may be difficult to identify. In this case, a measurement can be key for distinguishing, as O. definita is a much smaller species than O. pubescens.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

See also Habitat Account for General Oak-Hickory Forests

Ophiderma definita - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Ophiderma definita No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Ophiderma definita No Common Name
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: Correct date is 06/08/2023.rnVery small	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: Correct date is 06/08/2023.rnVery small
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: Correct date is 06/08/2023.rnVery small	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.8 mm, dead, stuck on a tree band on oak
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.8 mm, dead, stuck on a tree band on oak	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.8 mm, dead, stuck on a tree band on oak
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band on oak, 4.8 mm male	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band on oak, 4.8 mm male
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band on oak, 4.8 mm male	Photo by: Scott Bolick Forsyth 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: Scott Bolick Forsyth Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.4 mm female trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Quercus phellos	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.1 mm female trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Quercus phellos
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.1 mm female trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Quercus phellos	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.1 mm female trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Quercus phellos
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Female trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Quercus phellos.	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Female trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Quercus phellos.
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Female trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Quercus phellos.	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.6 mm female, trapped in Tanglefoot on a Willow oak (Quercus phellos) tree band, others of both sexes nearby; 2nd female 5.2 mm, photographed by K. Kittelberger
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: male; photographed by K. Kittelberger	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: male, 5.8 mm; photographed by K. Kittelberger
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: male, 5.8 mm; photographed by K. Kittelberger	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Came to UV light. Suburban yard near woods. 4.5 mm male
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.3 mm male, trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Willow Oak, Quercus phellos	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.3 mm male, trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Willow Oak, Quercus phellos
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.3 mm male, trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Willow Oak, Quercus phellos	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.3 mm male, trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Willow Oak, Quercus phellos
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.3 mm male, trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Willow Oak, Quercus phellos	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Came to UV light. Suburban yard near woods.
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Came to UV light. Suburban yard near woods. 4.5 mm male	Photo by: Mark Shields Onslow Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6 mm female, trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Willow Oak, Quercus phellos	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6 mm female, trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Willow Oak, Quercus phellos
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.6 mm male, on Willow Oak, Quercus phellos, stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band, others of both sexes nearby to be submitted separately	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.6 mm male, on Willow Oak, Quercus phellos, stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band, others of both sexes nearby to be submitted separately
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.6 mm male, on Willow Oak, Quercus phellos, stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band, others of both sexes nearby to be submitted separately	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.6 mm male, on Willow Oak, Quercus phellos, stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band, others of both sexes nearby to be submitted separately
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.6 mm female, trapped in Tanglefoot on a Willow oak (Quercus phellos) tree band, others of both sexes nearby	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.6 mm female, trapped in Tanglefoot on a Willow oak (Quercus phellos) tree band, others of both sexes nearby
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 4.6 mm female, trapped in Tanglefoot on a Willow oak (Quercus phellos) tree band, others of both sexes nearby	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.3 mm female encountered along a residential street lined with oaks
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.3 mm female encountered along a residential street lined with oaks	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.3 mm female encountered along a residential street lined with oaks
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.2 mm male, along residential street lined with oaks	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.2 mm male, along residential street lined with oaks
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.2 mm male, along residential street lined with oaks	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.2 mm male, along residential street lined with oaks
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: male
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: male	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: male
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: male	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: male	Photo by: Matthew S. Wallace Out Of State Co. Comment: female
	Photo by: Matthew S. Wallace Out Of State Co. Comment: male