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CICADELLIDAE Members: NC Records

Forcipata unidentified species - No Common Name



© Kyle Kittelberger- note shape of head

© Kyle Kittelberger

© Kyle Kittelberger- note yellow color
Taxonomy
Family: CICADELLIDAESubfamily: TyphlocybinaeSynonym: Forcipata nr. loca
Identification
Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF  iNaturalist                                                                                  
Description: Yellowish overall, with a yellow to yellow-orange head, thorax, and the basal two thirds of the wings; the tips are hyaline. Wing venation is yellow. The head noticeably projects forward. Males has forcep-like subgenital plates that are black-tipped, sometimes visible through the semi-transparent wings. The female pregenital sternite has a central produced lobe that is narrow, with notches between the central and lateral lobes broad and U-shaped. Adults are around 4 mm long. [Description for F. loca] (DeLong & Caldwell, 1936), (BG)
Distribution in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Distribution: Eastern and central North America
Abundance: Scattered records across the state, from the mountains and Piedmont where it can be locally common; likely abundant throughout the state.
Seasonal Occurrence
Jan
Feb
Mar
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Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Has been found near mixed hardwood forest.
Plant Associates: Sedges and grasses: Carex vesicaria for F. loca (per 3I), Carex leptalea for F. acclina (per 3I)
Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.
Comment: Forcipata refers to the male genitalia, which ends in forceps-like claspers. (BG)

F. loca is the most common and widespread member of this genus in North America. However, there are two other members of this genus that have apparently been recorded from North Carolina: F. acclina, from somewhere in the mountains near the TN border, and F. ohioensis (Hamilton, 1998). Forcipata can be a challenging genus to identify, as the species all more or less resemble one another externally, differing in male and female genitalia (more so in male). It is therefore pertinent to collect a male specimen to determine species identification of Forcipata in the state.

Below are the descriptions from DeLong & Caldwell, 1936 for the other two species, which can be compared with the desciption for F. loca above. Hamilton, 1998 has a more detailed key to differences in the subgenital plates. The subgenital plates for the following two species lack lobes or teeth before the tips, and the tips of the plates are not darkened; in loca, the plate apices are darkened and the plates are not notably larger than the valve. There are also slight but distinct differences in the female pregenital sternites among these three species.

acclina - Adults 3.2 mm long. Yellowish, the apex of the vertex is tinted with orange; the pronotum and scutellum are yellowish. The wing venation is yellow. The vertex is strongly produced. The female pregenital sternite is short and broad, with a broadly rounded central lobe; the lateral lobes are barely produced post the notches. The male subgenital plates are abruptly bent midway and curve inward, with the plates two times as long as the valve. The female pregenital sternite has a broad, rounded median lobe.

ohioensis - Adults are around 3 mm long. A narrow species, the vertex, pronotum, and scutellum are yellowish. The wings are a dull greenish color, with yellow veins. The female pregenital sternite has a central produced lobe that is narrow, rounded at the apex. Lateral lobes are two-thirds the length of the central lobe. The male subgenital plates are broad at the base, strongly curving inwards at the apices which are blunt; they are 1.5 times as long as the valve. The female pregenital sternite has a narrow, long median lobe with very concave lateral margins/incisions on either side of the lobe.

Status: Native
Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Forcipata unidentified species No Common Name

Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/140918273
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/140918275
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49267788
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/100957318
Photo by: Lior Carlson
Orange Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/95468363
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/95468363
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/95468363
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47920830
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/42902810
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/42348626
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/42348626
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/41327184
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/41327184
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37048516
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37048516
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: Attracted to Black Light
Photo by: Paul Scharf
Warren Co.
Comment: Attracted to Light
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Wake Co.
Comment: near mixed hardwood forest
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Wake Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Wake Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Wake Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Randy L Emmitt
Orange Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/33395695
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/33395695
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/33395695