Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Oncopsis minor - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE	Subfamily: Eurymelinae	Tribe: Macropsini
Taxonomic Author: (Hamilton, 1983)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: Males are dark, with a pale yellow face that has a prominent transverse arched black band between the eyes. The pronotum and scutellum are dark brown, speckled with fuscous coloration. The wings are either dark brown, smoky in color with paler cells. Or the wings are hyaline with dark, blackish veins and infuscated coloration along the crossveins, at the apex of the wing, and at the center of the commissure (inner edge of the wings); these males are similar to some females in the 3% category but have pale rather than dark faces, though some males can be extremely dark. Females come in 6 color phases/forms, typical of females of Oncopsis. In the most common form, phase D (73%), females are pale with grayish wings that have restricted fuscous markings, a yellow underside to the body and face, and a yellowish pronotum and scutellum that is speckled with dark marks. In phase E (3%), the darkest color form, females have a dark pronotum and scutellum, pale head that contrasts with a blackish face, and grayish wings with dark venation and dark coloration along the crossveins, commissure, and apex of the wings. In phases A and B (1% and 6%, respectively), females are largely ferruginous to reddish-brown overall, with a reddish pronotum, head, and face, tawny legs, and largely ferruginous wings that have a contrasting white V-shaped collar at the base of the wings and two somewhat clear windows towards the apex of the wings. These two ferruginous phases differ slightly in terms of how dark the ferruginous markings are on the wings and thorax and the size of wing windows; however, since they are quite similar to one another and some females show characteristics of both phases, these reddish-brown individuals will be treated as a single phase, phase AB (7%). Phase C (3%) is almost completely yellow; see pics below. Finally, in the 6th color form (lets call it phase F representing 14% of females), females are strongly maculated with wing markings nearly circular. The female pregenital sternite is triangular. Adult males are 3.9-4.5 mm long, while females are 3.8-4.9 mm. (Hamilton 1983) Nymphs are a pale buffy to brown color overall, or maculate with fuscous with two sinuate longitudinal fuscous bands extending behind the eyes onto the abdomen. (Hamilton 1983)

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, found across North America, especially in the Northeast, in higher elevation, northern forest-type habitats. Records from North Carolina likely represent the southernmost limit of the range for this species (in Hamilton (1983), NJ was listed as southernmost extent).

Abundance: Recorded from several counties in the mountains where it is uncommon, probably more abundant in that region.

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Has been found in grassy, shrubby habitat near montane forest.

Plant Associates: Birches, primarily on wire birch (Betula populifolia) and paper birch (B. papyrifera), but adults can accept other hosts (Hamilton 1983); also recorded from Betula lutea

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: This species is similar to O. cinctifrons and relatives, but it is slightly smaller, has a flatter face, and has fewer spines (tibial macrosetae) on the outer edge of the hind leg than other similar species (typically around 7 or 8 spines) (BG). O. cinctifrons has not been recorded yet in North Carolina; it is found in the Northeastern United States and across Canada. Phases A through E are also found in O. cinctifrons.

Note: Some of the color forms described above, especially phase E, may not occur this far south. Phase C (yellow) very closely resembles females of the most common phase in O. citra; however, female citra seem to have smokier wings. A species identification may not be possible in some cases of yellow females.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

See also Habitat Account for General Montane Mesic Forests

Oncopsis minor - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Oncopsis minor No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Oncopsis minor No Common Name
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: On low vegetation with Beech trees near by. - unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: On low vegetation with Beech trees near by. - unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: On low vegetation with Beech trees near by. - unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: On low vegetation with Beech trees near by. - unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Surry Co. Comment:	Photo by: Scott Bolick Surry Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Kevin Metcalf Yancey Co. Comment: perched on low vegetation	Photo by: Kevin Metcalf Yancey Co. Comment: perched on low vegetation
	Photo by: Kevin Metcalf Yancey Co. Comment: perched on low vegetation	Photo by: Kevin Metcalf Yancey Co. Comment: perched on low vegetation
	Photo by: Kevin Metcalf Yancey Co. Comment: perched on low vegetation	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: NCSU specimen; female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: NCSU specimen; female	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: NCSU specimen; female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: NCSU specimen; nymph	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Avery Co. Comment: grassy and vegetated, shrubby habitat surrounded by forest; tentative id, could be an unknown species; female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Avery Co. Comment: grassy and vegetated, shrubby habitat surrounded by forest; tentative id, could be an unknown species	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female, 4.3 mm
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female, 4.3 mm	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female, 4.3 mm
	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, 4.5 mm	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female, 4.5 mm
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female, 4.5 mm	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female, 4.1 mm
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female, 4.1 mm	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female, 4.1 mm
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Avery Co. Comment: open area near mixed hardwood forest	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Avery Co. Comment: grassy and vegetated, shrubby habitat surrounded by forest; hind leg appears to have around 7 spines
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Avery Co. Comment: grassy and vegetated, shrubby habitat surrounded by forest