Hoppers of North Carolina:
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Cicadellidae Members: NC Records

Draeculacephala bradleyi - No Common Name



© Kyle Kittelberger- female, note black face and
long head

© Kyle Kittelberger- female, note black face

© Kyle Kittelberger- male

© Kyle Kittelberger- male, note brown face and
shape of plates
Taxonomy
Family: CicadellidaeSubfamily: CicadellinaeTribe: Cicadellini
Identification
Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF  iNaturalist                                                                                  
Description: Greenish overall with pale wing venation. Females and males have a black face; however, some males (such as the specimen above) can have paler, brown faces. Females are distinctive in that they are the only females of a Draeculacephala in our region with a black face. The underside of the thorax and abdomen are brown. Females have a noticeably long and pointed head, triangular in shape with relatively straight margins (not concave). Males have much shorter, not as finely pointed heads. Males are less than 6.6 mm long, while females are less than 8.0 mm. (Young 1959) For images of live individuals, 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: Primarily the Southeastern United States and Cuba (BG)
Abundance: Uncommon to rare in the state with only a handful of records from across the state, most abundant in the Coastal Plain; likely overlooked.
Seasonal Occurrence
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: On the coast, has been found in pocosin, dry oak and maritime shrub.
Plant Associates: ?
Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.
Comment:

D. bradleyi is one of several Draeculacephala that occur in North Carolina that can be quite challenging to distinguish from each other. It is very important to make sure that detailed, clear photos are taken for many of these challenging species, showing side profile and underside shots (to determine sex). Obtaining a measurement of the specimen can also be very crucial. Below are some features that can help distinguish the challenging Draeculacephalas from one another.

antica- pale underside, face can be a little dark; forewing veins whitish. Male (6.1 or 6.3-7.7 mm), Female (6.0, 7.3-8.6 mm); head edged with bold black line; head slightly downcurved; dark brown markings on the mesosterna just behind the front coxae- these are absent in constricta, which is otherwise very similar

bradleyi- no blue pigment in wings, females and male have a black face (in some males it is a dark brown), venter is pale brownish (lighter in males, darker in females). Male (less than 6.6 mm), Female (less than 8.0 mm)

constricta- lacks blue pigment on wing veins and pronotum, yellow face and venter; black line edging on side of head not as bold as antica. Male (less than 6.6mm), Female (less than 8.0 mm)

mollipes- yellow face, yellow venter; black line edging not as bold as antica. Blue pigment on some veins and usually on pronotal lines; resembles a smaller version of robinsoni. Male (less than 6.6 mm), Female (less than 8.0 mm)

portola- resembles robinsoni, but has inflated face profile; larger than most robinsoni, male (~8.1 mm), female (9.9-10.6 mm) but lacks the blue pigmentation on veins and pronotum that robinsoni has; strictly coastal, rare

robinsoni- blue pigmentation on the pronotum and forewing venation; male abdomen usually mostly dark brown ventrally; male with crown shorter than or subequal in length to pronotum, female crown noticeably longer; abdominal sterna color extremely variable, typically entirely brown with various amounts of yellow; ranges from yellowish or yellowish-brown to blackish. Males much darker ventrally than females, sometimes blackish underneath; while females can have a dark face, it is not blackish like in D. bradleyi. Males (6.5-8.2 mm) Females (8.0-10.5 mm)

Status: Native
Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Draeculacephala bradleyi No Common Name

Photo by: Erich Hofmann
New Hanover Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/59240005
Photo by: Erich Hofmann
New Hanover Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/59240005
Photo by: Erich Hofmann
New Hanover Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/59240005
Photo by: Erich Hofmann
New Hanover Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/59240005
Photo by: Erich Hofmann
New Hanover Co.
Comment: Two individuals
Photo by: Erich Hofmann
New Hanover Co.
Comment: Two individuals
Photo by: Erich Hofmann
New Hanover Co.
Comment: Two individuals
Photo by: Erich Hofmann
New Hanover Co.
Comment: Two individuals
Photo by: Bo Sullivan
Pender Co.
Comment: female, 5.9 mm; photographed by K. Kittelberger
Photo by: Bo Sullivan
Pender Co.
Comment: female, 5.9 mm; photographed by K. Kittelberger
Photo by: Bo Sullivan
Pender Co.
Comment: female, 5.9 mm; photographed by K. Kittelberger
Photo by: Mark Shields
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
New Hanover Co.
Comment: marshy reed habitat; female, 6.5 mm
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
New Hanover Co.
Comment: marshy reed habitat; female, 6.5 mm
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
New Hanover Co.
Comment: marshy reed habitat; female, 6.5 mm
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: male, NCSU specimen
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: male, NCSU specimen
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: male, NCSU specimen
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: female, NCSU specimen
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: female, NCSU specimen
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: female, NCSU specimen
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: female, NCSU specimen
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: female, NCSU specimen
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: female, NCSU specimen
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: female