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

Stictocephala taurina - No Common Name


© Ken Childs- note coloration, pattern
© Ken Kneidel
© Kyle Kittelberger- nymph
© Scott Bolick
Taxonomy
Family: MEMBRACIDAESubfamily: Smiliinae
Taxonomic Author: (Fitch, 1856)
Identification
Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF  iNaturalist                                                                                  
Description: A green species with many pale spots scattered all over the pronotum. The horns are prominent but not overly large and may have a dark edge to them. The legs are green. The nymph is typical for this genus, see above. Adults are 7.5 mm long (BG).
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: Transcontinental
Abundance: Recorded from the mountains and Piedmont. Seasonal distribution: 19 June-18 September (CTNC)
Seasonal Occurrence
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Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Plant Associates: Helianthus sp., Rubus sp., Sambucus canadensis, Smilax sp. (CTNC)
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: Many Stictocephala may not be identifiable from an image; this is a very difficult group of treehoppers to identify correctly (for many species). This species is perhaps most similar to Hadrophallus bubalus, as both species have a very similar color pattern and a similarly sized pronotum. However, H. bubalus has dense pubescence (white hair) scattered across the pronotum, whereas taurina has little to no pubescence.
Status: Native
Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Stictocephala taurina No Common Name

Photo by: Scott Bolick
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Scott Bolick
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Scott Bolick
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Scott Bolick
Watauga 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: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Avery Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Avery Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Avery Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Avery Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Avery Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Avery Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Avery Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Avery Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ken Kneidel
Yancey Co.
Comment: edge of lush forest at foothills of Black Mountains with small lawn and meadow nearby; TENTATIVE ID
Photo by: Ken Childs
Out Of State Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ken Kneidel
Yancey Co.
Comment: edge of lush forest at foothills of Black Mountains with small lawn and meadow nearby
Photo by: Ken Kneidel
Yancey Co.
Comment: edge of lush forest at foothills of Black Mountains with small lawn and meadow nearby		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: