Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Erythroneura octonotata - Eight-spotted Leafhopper

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE	Subfamily: Typhlocybinae	Tribe: Erythroneurini
Taxonomic Author: (Walsh, 1862)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist Google
Description: A yellowish to orange species with two prominent small black spots on the middle of the wings along the commissure. There are two yellow or orange parallel submedial lines on the top of the head, with a broad white midline in between. The pronotum has a Y to M-shaped mark, sometimes with the anterior margin colored as well. Much of the scutellum is black except for the lateral triangles; this bold black scutellum is diagnostic for this species, though in some specimens the scutellum is pale. The black mesonotum sometimes is visible through the pronotum. The costal margin of the wings has a small black mark in the middle, and the wing tips are smudged with brown; there is a bold pair of black spots along the inner margin of the wings near the tips. In var. rufomaculata, the clavi of the wings is a bold, bright red. In all forms, the face and thoracic venter are pale. Adults are 2.6-2.9 mm long. (Dmitriev & Dietrich, 2007) For more images of this species, 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: A widespread species found throughout the central and eastern United States, though for some reason there has been a dearth of records from North Carolina until now (3I)

Abundance: Recent records from across the state but primarily in the mountains; 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 in mixed hardwood forest.

Plant Associates: Rubus sp., Vitis sp., Cercis canadensis, Ilex decidua, Ulmus alata, Aesculus sp. (3I)

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: This species is most similar to E. vagabunda, as both species have black spots in the middle of the wings. However, the spots tend to be much larger in E. octonotata, and there is a prominent pair of spots along the inner margin of the wings near the tips. Additionally, the middle of the scutellum is black in octonotata; vagabunda lacks this black.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Erythroneura octonotata Eight-spotted Leafhopper 14
	Photo by: Marilyn Westphal Henderson Co. Comment: UV light sheet	Photo by: Marilyn Westphal Henderson Co. Comment: UV light sheet
	Photo by: Jim Petranka Madison Co. Comment:	Photo by: F. Williams, S. Williams Gates Co. Comment: MEMI
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Wilkes Co. Comment:	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Wake Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Transylvania Co. Comment: male	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Transylvania Co. Comment: male
	Photo by: John Rosenfeld Out Of State Co. Comment:	Photo by: John Rosenfeld Out Of State Co. Comment:
	Photo by: John Rosenfeld Out Of State Co. Comment: female	Photo by: John Rosenfeld Out Of State Co. Comment: female
	Photo by: John Rosenfeld Out Of State Co. Comment:	Photo by: J. Allen Ratzlaff Buncombe Co. Comment:

Erythroneura octonotata - Eight-spotted Leafhopper

Species Photo Gallery for Erythroneura octonotata Eight-spotted Leafhopper 14