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

Scaphytopius elegans - No Common Name


© Kyle Kittelberger- female, note pattern
© Kyle Kittelberger- female
© Mark Shields- male
© Mark Shields- male, note pattern
Taxonomy
Family: CICADELLIDAESubfamily: Deltocephalinae
Identification
Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF  iNaturalist                                                                                  
Description: A very distinctive and stunning species. Adults are a reddish-brown (though this color can vary among individuals) with a pale, yellowish broad midline patch that extends from the head down the middle of the wings. There are two bold black marks at the rear of the wings; there are also some pale white spots scattered on the wings. There is a white transverse band with a black border between each eye, on the edge of the head. The vertex itself is blunt, not sharply pointed, and is almost twice as long as the width between the eyes. The face is pale, sometimes yellow. The female pregenital sternite is broadly and roundedly produced on the posterior margin. Male subgenital plates are triangular and strongly divergent from one another. Adults are 4.5-5.0 mm long, with females longer than males. (DeLong 1948)

For diagrams of this species, see: Zahniser.

Nymphs are similarly colored to the adults, with a noticeable yellow, broken middorsal stripe down the length of the body. The sides of the abdomen, thorax, and vertex are reddish-orange.

Distribution in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Distribution: Transcontinental, found from North Carolina south to Florida and west to California (BG)
Abundance: Recorded recently from a couple counties in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain; very uncommon to rare, possibly more abundant in the right habitat.
Seasonal Occurrence
Jan
Feb
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Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Has been found in open habitat near brush/pines.
Plant Associates: Quercus spp., in particular live oak (Q. virginiana) (Hepner 1947)
Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.
Comment: The individuals found in North Carolina may be of the form "floridanus."
Status: Native
Global and State Rank:
See also Habitat Account for Live Oak Forests and Maritime Scrub Thickets

Species Photo Gallery for Scaphytopius elegans No Common Name

Photo by: Mark Shields
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Joshua Liverman
Currituck Co.
Comment: During a caterpillar count survey
Photo by: Joshua Liverman
Currituck Co.
Comment: During a caterpillar count survey		Photo by: Mark Shields
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Mark Shields
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf
Dare Co.
Comment: open habitat near coastal shrub/pine forest
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf
Dare Co.
Comment: open habitat near coastal shrub/pine forest		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf
Dare Co.
Comment: open habitat near coastal shrub/pine forest