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

Vanduzea triguttata - Three-spotted Treehopper

Vanduzea triguttata
© Matthew S. Wallace		Vanduzea triguttata
© Nick Spigler
Taxonomy
Family: MEMBRACIDAESubfamily: Smiliinae
Taxonomic Author: (Burmeister 1836)
Identification
Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF  iNaturalist  Google                                                                                  
Description: This species is similar to V. arquata, with a dark brown pronotum and bold black wing venation, but there is a third mark on the pronotum, a pale/white mid-dorsal spot; hence the name Three-spotted. Adult males are 3 to 3.5 mm long while females are 4 mm. See FSCA for more.

Nymphs are brown overall, speckled with white.

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, central, and southwestern North America; uncommon in the East.
Abundance: Uncommon and infrequently encountered. Seasonal distribution: 17 June-27 September (CTNC)
Seasonal Occurrence
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Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Plant Associates: Lespedeza sp. (CTNC); also reported from Eupatorium capillifolium, alfalfa, oaks, Helianthus, Psoralea tenuiflora, Melilotus spp. (BG)
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 frequently tended by ants (Formica spp.) (BG).
Status: Native
Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Vanduzea triguttata Three-spotted Treehopper

Vanduzea triguttataPhoto by: Nick Spigler
Cumberland Co.
Comment: Sluggish, sitting on vertical stem		Vanduzea triguttataPhoto by: Nick Spigler
Cumberland Co.
Comment: Sluggish, sitting on vertical stem
Vanduzea triguttataPhoto by: Nick Spigler
Cumberland Co.
Comment: Sluggish, sitting on vertical stem		Vanduzea triguttataPhoto by: Matthew S. Wallace
Out Of State Co.
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