Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Erythridula complex 1 - 'Dark-backed' Erythridula

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE

Subfamily: Typhlocybinae

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide
Description: A largely bicolored hopper, mostly yellowish-white with a bold dark brown to blackish longitudinal band [typically] across the entire length of the body. The black band is sometimes bordered on each side by a couple of yellow to reddish-orange lines on the wings. The width of the black band varies among specimens. In some individuals, the black line is interrupted, appearing as a set up continuous patches. The band tends to taper on the margin of the head. Adults are around 3.0 mm long

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: Eastern North America

Abundance: Scattered records from the Piedmont and mountains, probably found throughout the state.

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Has been found in mixed hardwood and open forest habitat.

Plant Associates: See respective species links below.

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: Erythridula is a very challenging genus to identify to species level, as there can be variation in pattern and coloration within species, and many species resemble one another. Dissecting specimens is the the only way to determine species for many cases. This page represents individuals that could represent one of several species that have a dark band on the wings and body: divisa, stolata, and rufostigmosa var. 'subnila'. C. Dietrich notes that he does not "know of any consistent way to tell members of this group apart using coloration." Therefore, it is not reliable to distinguish any individuals in this group to species level without analyzing a specimen. Below are the descriptions from the 3I database, and links to those species profile pages, that show how similar these species can be to one another.

E. divisa- Dorsum yellow or white. Color pattern brown. Vertex with large basal dark area often extended onto pronotum. Vertex midline dark. Anteclypeus pale, concolorous with rest of face. Pronotum dark with pale lateral margins or pale with two longitudinal stripes. Mesonotum entirely dark, apex concolorous with rest of mesonotum. Thoracic venter with dark mesosternum, remainder pale. Forewings with oblique vittae, without crossbands. Clavus largely or entirely bright red or brown. Abdomen dark dorsally.

E. rufostigmosa- Dorsum yellow or white. Color pattern red or orange or brown. Vertex with oblique lateral vittae or with large basal dark area often extended onto pronotum. Vertex midline pale or dark. Anteclypeus pale, concolorous with rest of face. Pronotum dark with pale lateral margins or pale with two longitudinal stripes. Mesonotum entirely dark, apex concolorous with rest of mesonotum. Thoracic venter with dark mesosternum, remainder pale. Forewings without oblique vittae or with oblique vittae or with oblique vittae usully forming continuous zigzag pattern, without crossbands. Clavus with continuous vitta parallel to suture or largely or entirely bright red or brown. Abdomen dark dorsally.

E. stolata- Dorsum yellow or white. Color pattern red or orange or brown. Vertex with large basal dark area often extended onto pronotum. Vertex midline dark. Anteclypeus pale, concolorous with rest of face. Pronotum dark with pale lateral margins or pale with two longitudinal stripes. Mesonotum entirely dark, apex concolorous with rest of mesonotum. Thoracic venter entirely pale. Forewings without oblique vittae or with oblique vittae, without crossbands. Clavus largely or entirely bright red or brown. Abdomen dark dorsally.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Erythridula complex 1 'Dark-backed' Erythridula
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 2.8 mm male, came to UV light at night	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 2.8 mm male, came to UV light at night
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 2.8 mm male, came to UV light at night	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 2.9 mm, came to UV light at night
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: 1 female collected	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: 1 female collected
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: 1 female collected	Photo by: Bockhahn, Scharf Burke Co. Comment: LAJA - 2014 BioBlitz Attracted to Black Light the color is off due to the camera flash/black light
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf, Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment: attracted at night with a light	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: mixed hardwood, open forest near lake edge
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat; American Beech is on our property. Not a good photo, but the only pic I have of this individual	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Interesting Color Variation, Attracted to Black light	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Interesting Color Variation, Attracted to Black light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Light	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Light	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Light	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: attracted to Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: attracted to Light	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: mixed hardwood, open forest near lake edge
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: mixed hardwood, open forest near lake edge	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: mixed hardwood, open forest near lake edge

Erythridula complex 1 - 'Dark-backed' Erythridula

Species Photo Gallery for Erythridula complex 1 'Dark-backed' Erythridula