Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

Cicadellidae Members:	NC Records
Mesamia nigridorsum - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: Cicadellidae	Subfamily: Deltocephalinae	Tribe: Athysanini
Taxonomic Author: (Ball, 1907)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: A milky white species marked with black. The vertex margin is white and there is a black line between the eyes. The pronotum is blackish, while the scutellum ranges from orange to black among individuals. The wings are mostly white except for a broad dark brown to black saddle in the middle; the wings are darker in males, and wing venation is dark. The underside of the abdomen is dark. The female pregenital sternite is broadly and angularly excavated with a short median tooth. Male genital plates are narrowed slightly and concavely to acute apexes. Adults are 4.0-5.0 mm long. (DeLong 1948) Nymphs are dark, speckled with white. For more images of this species, see: 1, 2.

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: Eastern and central United States, west to the Rocky Mountains (DeLong 1948)

Abundance: Somewhat rare, several historical records from the mountains and Piedmont; 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: Grassy areas, fields, prairie-like habitats

Plant Associates: Helianthus sp. (DeLong 1948)

Behavior:

Comment: This species can produce black spots on plants it feedes on through its puncturing of plant tissue. (DeLong 1948)

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Mesamia nigridorsum No Common Name
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: NCSU specimen		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: NCSU specimen

Mesamia nigridorsum - No Common Name