Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Aligia meridiana - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE	Subfamily: Deltocephalinae	Tribe: Athysanini
Taxonomic Author: Hepner, 1939

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist Google
Description: An orange, brownish species with two pale bands and two darker brown orange-brown bands on the wings. Adult males are 4.5 mm, while females are 5.5 mm. The vertex, pronotum, and scutellum are yellow-brown to orange, and the face and clypeus are yellow. The vertex is rounded, almost parallel-margined, and is about three times as wide between the eyes as the length in the middle. The tegmen of the female is semihyaline to white, with two reddish-brown crossbands that are separated by a light band about as wide as either. The males are similar, except that the anterior band covers the entire basal half of the tegmen. The wing veins for both sexes are always tawny, and the apical cells of the wings are typically infuscated. The male pygofer is broad, but truncate at the apex. (Hepner, 1939) The pregenital sternite is broadly rounded, with a slightly protruding median tooth; the median part at least is embrowned. For more images of this species, see: 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: An uncommon species recorded primarily from the Southeast but found as far west as the central United States and as far north as Canada (BG).

Abundance: Uncommon, recorded from several counties in the Piedmont; likely 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 edge. Noted from scrub oak/pitch pine barrens in New England (Chandler & Hamilton, 2017).

Plant Associates: Oak and pitch pine (Chandler & Hamilton, 2017)

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: This species is most similar to Agallia modesta, and the two have been confused online up until recently. It is noted as being more highly colored than modesta (Hepner, 1939). A. modesta is seemingly more orange and less-banded overall. A. meridiana could also be confused with Menosoma cincta, but note the wing pattern of A. meridiana with the two pale bands.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Aligia meridiana No Common Name
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: female	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: female
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Weedy/grassy area near woods.	Photo by: Ken Childs Out Of State Co. Comment:

Aligia meridiana - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Aligia meridiana No Common Name