Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

Cicadellidae Members:	NC Records
Oncopsis citra - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: Cicadellidae	Subfamily: Eurymelinae	Tribe: Macropsini
Taxonomic Author: (Hamilton, 1983)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: Males are very dark overall in coloration. They have a yellow venter, tawny to ferruginous legs, and a pale yellowish face that contrasts with a bold but narrow fuscous to black transverse band between the eyes and another on the margin of the head. The pronotum is yellowish with dark speckling, the scutellum is dark. The wings are a deep brown to black with a pale spot along the commissure (inner edge of the wings) near the apex. Females come in several color forms/phases, typical of members of Oncopsis. In Phase D (52% of females), the head, pronotum, and scutellum are yellow, contrasting with ferruginous tinted wings. Phase C (0.5%) is similarly colored but has darker ferruginous markings on the wings. In the second most common form, phase B (41%), the scutellum and pronotum are a bold ferruginous color that contrasts with a yellow head; the wings are largely ferruginous with a whitish V-shaped mark in the middle [of the back] and two clear "windows" closer to the apex. In phase D (7%), the females are colored similar to brown males but have a face that is more or less ferruginous. The female pregenital sternite has a prominent to very small notch on the posterior margin. Adult males are 4.9-5.9 mm long, while females are 5.1-5.9 mm. (Hamilton 1983) Nymphs are ferruginous with a white, pale tip to the abdomen that contrasts with the darker rusty base of the abdomen.

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: Eastern United States, transcontinental in Canada

Abundance: Primarily found in the mountains where it is uncommon; a single record from the Piedmont, which seems quite out of range for this species.

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Forest edge, brushy areas, places where birch trees can be found

Plant Associates: Yellow birch (B. alleghaniensis), paper birch (B. papyrifera), wire birch (B. populiforlia), water birch (B. occidentalis), other birches (Hamilton 1983)

Behavior:

Comment: This species is similar to O. sobria, specifically the males. The nymphs of citra are distinctive in coloration among members of this genus. (Hamilton 1983)

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

See also Habitat Account for General Montane Mesic Forests

Species Photo Gallery for Oncopsis citra No Common Name
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment:	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment:	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment:	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: NCSU specimen; female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: NCSU specimen; female	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: NCSU specimen; nymph
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: NCSU specimen; nymph	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Out Of State Co. Comment: female

Oncopsis citra - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Oncopsis citra No Common Name