Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Empoa gillettei - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE	Subfamily: Typhlocybinae	Synonym: Typhlocyba gillettei
Taxonomic Author: (Van Duzee 1917)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF
Description: A yellowish species with a bold, prominent wing pattern that can strongly vary among individuals. There is a dark median transverse brown band that extends straight to the costal margins; this band can vary in width among individuals. The wing tips are bicolored: the apical crossveins are strongly infuscated but the wing tips themselves are lightly infuscated and typically appear pale, providing a noticeable contrast with the crossveins. As a result of the pale tips, dark crossveins, and median transverse band, the wings appear double-banded. Note that the extent to which the crossveins and surrounding cells are infuscated can strongly vary among individuals; sometimes the margin of the tips can be infuscated, kind of 'cupping' the rest of the pale area. The head and pronotum are yellowish-white to bright yellow, the scutellum ranges from yellowish-orange to dark brown. The abdomen is yellow with basal half of the dorsum of three basal segments black; the underside is yellowish-white. Adults are 3.25-3.5 mm long. (Christian, 1953), (Hamilton, 1983) For more pics of this species showing the range of variation in color and pattern, 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: Transcontinental, with a majority of records coming from eastern and central North America (3I)

Abundance: Scattered records across the Piedmont and mountains where it can be locally common; probably 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: Has been found near mixed hardwood forest and higher elevation forest.

Plant Associates: Recorded hosts include at least 6 families of deciduous trees, including birches (Betula sp.), alders (Alnus sp.), maple (Acer sp.), hickory (Carya sp.), cherry (Prunus sp.), oak (Quercus sp.), and willow (Salix sp.) (3I)

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: The paler forms of E. venusta, with a transverse median wing band rather than a large basal dark patch, are similar in appearance to E. gillettei. The band of both species can vary drastically between both species, so the size of the band itself is not a good determinant of species. The key characteristic distinguishing the two species is the wing tips. In gillettei, the apical crossveins are strongly infuscated but the wing tips themselves are lightly infuscated and typically appear pale, providing a noticeable contrast with the crossveins; as a result of the pale tips, dark crossveins, and median transverse band, the wings appear double-banded. In TE. venusta, the apical crossveins are strongly infuscated BUT the tips are also dark, forming a typically solid brown tip; sometimes the apical cells aren't quite as dark as the crossveins, but they are still noticeably dark compared to typical gillettei. Typically, the infuscations around the crossveins are bolder and thicker in venusta compared to gillettei, but the extent to which these veins and the surrounding cells are infuscated can strongly vary in gillettei (variants were initially described as separate species but are likely just a result of genetic heterogeny across the range of gillettei); darkness of wing tips is a better characteristic to use when determining species. (Hamilton, 1983)

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Empoa gillettei No Common Name
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 3.5 mm female came to UV light in early evening	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 3.5 mm female came to UV light in early evening
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 3.5 mm female came to UV light in early evening	Photo by: Erich Hofmann Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Erich Hofmann Buncombe Co. Comment:	Photo by: Erich Hofmann Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Erich Hofmann Buncombe Co. Comment:	Photo by: Jim Petranka Madison Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment:	Photo by: Scott Bolick Forsyth Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Forsyth Co. Comment:	Photo by: Vin Stanton Buncombe Co. Comment: semi wooded residential neighborhood
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Swain Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52211852	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Swain Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52211852
	Photo by: Margarita Lankford Swain Co. Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52211852	Photo by: Jim Petranka Madison Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment:	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Attracted to UV light. Suburban yard near woods.
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Attracted to UV light. Suburban yard near woods.	Photo by: Jim Petranka Madison Co. Comment:
	Photo by: B. Bockhahn Alleghany Co. Comment:	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: 3.5 mm. © Kyle Kittelberger
	Photo by: vin stanton Buncombe Co. Comment:	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: 3.5 mm
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: 3.5 mm	Photo by: Randy Emmitt Orange Co. Comment: uv light
	Photo by: Randy L Emmitt Orange Co. Comment:	Photo by: R Emmitt Orange Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Ken Childs Out Of State Co. Comment:	Photo by: Ken Childs Out Of State Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat	Photo by: T. DeSantis Durham Co. Comment: ENRI
	Photo by: T. DeSantis, B. Hall Durham Co. Comment: ENRI	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to 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 Black Light
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Attracted to Black Light	Photo by: Paul Scharf,Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Surry Co. Comment: Attracted To Black Light
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Surry Co. Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge & forest	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Surry Co. Comment: grassy, brushy habitat near forest edge & forest
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Ashe Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat

Empoa gillettei - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Empoa gillettei No Common Name