Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Kyboasca splendida - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE

Subfamily: Typhlocybinae

Tribe: Empoascini

Synonym: Empoasca splendida

Taxonomic Author: (Gillette, 1898)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: A stunning species with a distinct, unique pattern. Greenish overall with two bold blue stripes on the wings along the claval suture that are connected with a lateral blue band across the pronotum; when viewed from above, these blue lines form an elongated triangle. Some boldly marked individuals have orange bands bordering either side of the blue stripes on the wings. There is an orange mark on the anterior border of the blue pronotal stripe. There is a blue mark across much of the vertex. The wing tips have a dusky tint. The underside of the body and legs are green. Males are more brightly colored than females.

Distribution in North Carolina

County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.

Distribution: Transcontinental across North America (3I)

Abundance: Recorded from a few counties in the Piedmont and mountains; possibly more abundant in the right habitat.

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Has been found near mixed hardwood forest habitat.

Plant Associates: Alders (Alnus sp.), Alnus incana, Alnus rugosa (3I)

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: This species has been subject to some taxonomic name confusion over the years, going by either Kyboasca splendida or as a synonym of Kybos unica. DeLong treated unica as a senior synonym of splendida, a species that belongs in Kyboasca. However, A. Hamilton exaxmined the type specimen of unica and discovered that it is not the same as splendida and instead belongs in Kybos, thereby validating splendida as as a full species within Kyboasca rather than Kybos. The type has a pigmented Cu vein, and the tegmina do not overlap. Additionally, the pronotum is rufous in the type, rather than the typical greenish of splendida, though this could be due to the darkening of the specimen over time. K. unica is only known from the type specimen, and could be a synonym of another species, but the type is a female meaning that it is difficult to associate the specimen with a known species. Hamilton also noted that the pregenital sternite of the female was shorter than any known species. (Hamilton, 1976, J. Kits pers. comment)

Therefore, we will be treating splendida as a full species within Kyboasca.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Kyboasca splendida No Common Name
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: grassy area near mixed hardwood forest and a pond	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: grassy area near mixed hardwood forest and a pond
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: grassy area near mixed hardwood forest and a pond	Photo by: J. Allen Ratzlaff Buncombe Co. Comment:

Kyboasca splendida - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Kyboasca splendida No Common Name