Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CICADELLIDAE Members:	NC Records
Planicephalus flavicosta - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: CICADELLIDAE	Subfamily: Deltocephalinae	Tribe: Deltocephalini
Taxonomic Author: (Stål, 1862)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist

Description: A small leafhopper that is very highly variable in coloration, from pale stramineous to very dark. There is a small pale yellow border to the costal margin of the wings; another small white dash is found closer to the wingtip, and the wingtip itself has a white edge. There are several small white dots on the front of the head and behind the eyes. The legs are pale brown. The female pregenital sternite is narrowed posteriorly, with the posterior margin more or less sinuate (sometimes with four feebly developed lobes). Adult males are 3.3-3.8 mm long, while females are 3.4-3.8 mm. (Kramer, 1971).

Nymphs are an overall brownish color with a black tip to the abdomen and several dark brown abdominal segments.

For diagrams of this species, see: a href='http://zahniser.speciesfile.org/taxahelp.asp?hc=6182&key=Delt&lng=En' target='_blank'>3I.

Distribution in North Carolina

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

Distribution: Found from the eastern United States to Argentina and into the West Indies (Kramer, 1971).

Abundance: Widespread across the state.

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Grassy, brushy areas

Plant Associates:

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: Due to the broad range overlap of P. flavicosta and P. flavocostatus (both species occur in the state), and the similarity in the appearance of the two species (both essentially have identical coloration, and the pregenital sternites are similar), the only true way to distinguish the two species is based on male genitalia.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Planicephalus flavicosta No Common Name
	Photo by: Erich Hofmann Craven Co. Comment: male;	Photo by: Erich Hofmann Craven Co. Comment: male;
	Photo by: Erich Hofmann Craven Co. Comment: male	Photo by: Erich Hofmann Craven Co. Comment: male
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf New Hanover Co. Comment: grassy area, near marsh; male, 3.6 mm; P. flavicosta, determined from specimen by C. Dietrich	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf New Hanover Co. Comment: grassy area, near marsh; male, 3.6 mm; P. flavicosta, determined from specimen by C. Dietrich
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf New Hanover Co. Comment: grassy area, near marsh; male, 3.6 mm; P. flavicosta, determined from specimen by C. Dietrich	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf New Hanover Co. Comment: grassy area, near marsh; male, 3.6 mm; P. flavicosta, determined from specimen by C. Dietrich

Planicephalus flavicosta - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Planicephalus flavicosta No Common Name