Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Balclutha incisa - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE

Subfamily: Deltocephalinae

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: A slender species that ranges from yellow, yellowish-green, and green in color, sometimes pale. The wings are concolorous with the body color, and the cells of the forewings are sometimes fuscous (see images above). The head is as wide as or slightly wider than the pronotum; the vertex is the same length in the middle as next to the eye. The female pregenital sternite is has a straight posterior margin. The male subgenital plates are triangular, with short finger-like projections that extend from the tapered apexes. Adult males are 2.9 to 3.6 mm long, females are 2.8 to 3.8 mm. Nymphs are a light brown color. (Knight, 1987) For images of specimens of nymphs and adults, see: BOLD. For a couple diagrams of the genitalia, see: 3i.

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: In the United States, primarily in the Southeast though reported as far north as New York and Michigan and as far west as Arizona; found throughout the Carribean and Central America, south into South America. This species is also reported from various spots in the Old World, primarily in Asia and Oceania (3i), (Knight, 1987)

Abundance: Scattered records across the state, rare; likely under collected and therefore 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, forest edge; also in grassy areas

Plant Associates: Probably grasses; Knight (1987) reports the following host plants for this species from around the world, most from the Caribbean: Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus ferax, Daucus carota (carrot), Eriochloa subglabra, Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato), Oryza sativa (rice), Panicum barbinode, Saccharum sp. (sugar-cane)

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a black light.

Comment: NOTE: As of now, it is probably necessary to collect male specimens to confirm the identification of any specimens that may be this species. Balclutha is a very challenging genus to identify without male genitalia, with multiple species showing a high degree of color and pattern variation and similarity in head shape, size and female pregenital sternite shape. Blocker (1967) noted that this species was closely related to B. neglecta, and it also appears similar to B. rosea. Knight (1987) also notes that this species is easily confused with B. lucida, a species that is found in the Southeast but hasn't been recorded in the state yet.

Interestingly, there appears to be some taxonomic confusion with this species in the literature. In Blocker (1967), diagrams of male genitalia for B. hebe, a species that was later synonymized under B. rosea, match those of B. incisa in Knight (1987). To further complicate matters, Blocker also had diagrams [and info] for B. incisa that seem to better match B. rosea, a species that was not represented in his paper. Knight noted that B. incisa was initially referred to as B. hebe prior to Blocker's paper, later was synonymized under B. incisa after Blocker's paper, and then was determined [by Knight] to actually be a synoynm of B. rosea. Since the genitalia don't lie, it seems likely that Blocker mixed up some diagrams. As a result, Blocker's information and diagrams for B. incisa will be disregarded as of now, with Knight (1987) taking precedence, and his diagrams of both male and female genitalia of B. hebe will be attributed to B. incisa.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Balclutha incisa No Common Name
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: in forest leaf litter	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: in forest leaf litter
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: in forest leaf litter	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 3.3 mm male came to UV light at night
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 3.3 mm male came to UV light at night	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 3.3 mm male came to UV light at night
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 3.3 mm male came to UV light at night	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf Beaufort Co. Comment: open, grassy habitat surrounded by pine and mixed hardwood forest; tentative
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf Beaufort Co. Comment: open, grassy habitat surrounded by pine and mixed hardwood forest	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf Beaufort Co. Comment: open, grassy habitat surrounded by pine and mixed hardwood forest
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest; most likely this species	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest; female, 3.2 mm
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest; female, 3.2 mm	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: female, 3.5 mm; most likely this species
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: female, 3.5 mm	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: female, 3.5 mm
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: collected 2 individuals: male, 3.6 mm; female,	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: collected 2 individuals: male, 3.6 mm; female,
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: collected 2 individuals: male, 3.6 mm; female,	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: collected 2 individuals: male, 3.6 mm; female, 3.1 mm
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: collected 2 individuals: male, 3.6 mm; female, 3.1 mm

Balclutha incisa - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Balclutha incisa No Common Name