Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

MEMBRACIDAE Members:	NC Records
Enchenopa binotata complex - Two-marked Treehopper

Taxonomy

Family: MEMBRACIDAE

Subfamily: Membracinae

Tribe: 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

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

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 Two-marked Treehopper
	Photo by: Alicia G Jackson Moore Co. Comment: 4 individuals seen on hickory in wooded yard. Present from at least 2-10 June 2023. Other potential host spp listed don’t occur in this area, other than Liriodendron on the opposite side of the house. Viburnum prunifolium within ~70 ft.	Photo by: Alicia G Jackson Moore Co. Comment: 4 individuals seen on hickory in wooded yard. Present from at least 2-10 June 2023. Other potential host spp listed don’t occur in this area, other than Liriodendron on the opposite side of the house. Viburnum prunifolium within ~70 ft.
	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

Enchenopa binotata complex - Two-marked Treehopper

Species Photo Gallery for Enchenopa binotata complex Two-marked Treehopper