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

Enchenopa binotata complex - Enchenopa binotata complex



© Kyle Kittelberger- female

© Kyle Kittelberger- male
Taxonomy
Family: MEMBRACIDAESubfamily: MembracinaeTribe: Membracini
Identification
Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF  iNaturalist                                                                                  
Description: A dark, blackish-brown species with two distinctive yellowish marks down the back. The wings are mostly concolorous with the rest of the body, with rufous-tinted tips. Sexes can be distinguished from one another by the length of the horn- in females, the horn is noticeably long and prominent, while in males the horn is much smaller, sometimes nothing more than a little nub. Egg masses are whitish in color, resembling raised shells on a stem. Nymphs are blackish-brown, with a small forward-facing horn and spines down the middle of the abdomen. See here for a nice depiction of the life cycle of nymphs of this genus.
Distribution in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Distribution: Eastern North America
Abundance: Recorded throughout the state, with scattered records: uncommon. Seasonal distribution: 15 May-3 October (CTNC)
Seasonal Occurrence
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Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Has been found in a variety of habitats, including grassy, brushy areas and mixed hardwood forest; where host plants are present.
Plant Associates: Carya sp., Cercis canadensis, Juglans nigra, Liriodendron tulipifera, Robinia pseudoacacia, Viburnum prunifolium (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: Recent studies have shown that there are a number of undescribed species within this species complex, with each undescribed species feeding on a specific, different host plant. These host plants include Cercis (redbud), Juglans (walnut), and Viburnum. For now, while the taxonomy regarding these undescribed species is being sorted out, we are placing all Enchenopa records without host information under the complex. Adults of the various species cannot be distinguished from one another, so it is imperative to record the host plant that Enchenopa individuals are found on. Some nymphs of this complex are distinctive enough to be identified to species: see here.
Status: Native
Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Enchenopa binotata complex Enchenopa binotata complex

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: unid_treehopper
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: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 3.2 mm, feeding on goldenrod
Photo by: Jim Petranka
Madison Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Mark Shields
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin
Madison Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Randy L Emmitt
Orange Co.
Comment: uv lights. Didn't expect it to be so small.rnfemale!
Photo by: Amanda Auxier
Pender Co.
Comment: unid_planthopper
Photo by: Amanda Auxier
Pender Co.
Comment: unid_planthopper
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: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn
Rockingham Co.
Comment: grassy area near mixed hardwood forest and a pond
Photo by: Paul Scharf, B Bockhahn, C Mitchell
Durham Co.
Comment: Caught sweeping
Photo by: Paul Scharf, B Bockhahn, C Mitchell
Durham Co.
Comment: Caught sweeping
Photo by: Paul Scharf
Warren Co.
Comment: Attracted To Light
Photo by: Paul Scharf
Warren Co.
Comment: Attracted To Light