Hoppers of North Carolina:
Spittlebugs, Leafhoppers, Treehoppers, and Planthoppers
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CICADELLIDAE Members: NC Records

Oncopsis variabilis - No Common Name


© Kyle Kittelberger- male
© Kyle Kittelberger- female, phase B (4%)
© Ted Wilcox- female, phase A (27%)
© Solomon Hendrix- female, phase E (15%)
Taxonomy
Family: CICADELLIDAESubfamily: EurymelinaeTribe: MacropsiniSubgenus: Oncopsis
Taxonomic Author: (Fitch, 1851)
Identification
Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF  iNaturalist                                                                                  
Description: A highly variable species. The male is boldly marked with black transverse bands between the eyes; the mesepisterna, thoracic sterna, and entire dorsum are black. The wings are also largely black, with the exceptions of yellow arcs behind the calli and the yellow commissure. The venter of the body is yellow, and the legs and face are tawny. The scutellum is sometimes spotted with yellow. Females vary greatly in color, ranging from: yellow with black stripes along the claval suture (phase A); semi-translucent yellow with black stripes (phase B); to entirely yellow (phase E) or entirely black; to variegated in yellow, ferruginous and black (phase H, phase I). Adult males are 4.2-4.8 mm long, while females are 4.5-5.3 mm. (Hamilton 1983)

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: Transcontinental, primarily across much of boreal Canada except to the Pacific coast; recorded as far south as the mountains of North Carolina.
Abundance: Rare, recorded from a couple counties in the mountains; likely more abundant in this region and just under-collected.
Seasonal Occurrence
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Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Montane woodlands with birch
Plant Associates: Primarily paper birch (Betula papyrifera); less frequently on wire birch (B. populifolia) and yellow birch (B. alleghaniensis) (Hamilton 1983)
Behavior:
Comment: NOTE: Throughout much of their range, males of this species are easily recognized by their largely solid black wings with a thin yellow commissure. Females only exhibit the characteristic yellow clavus of Oncopsis flavidorsum if the rest of the wings are yellow, or solid black; this combination of characters is not found in flavidorsum. The frequency of the color phases of females also shows geographic variation (the frequencies listed on this page are representative of populations from New York to New Jersey). (Hamilton 1983)
Status: Native
Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Oncopsis variabilis No Common Name

Photo by: Solomon Hendrix
Out Of State Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Solomon Hendrix
Out Of State Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Solomon Hendrix
Out Of State Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Found on a weed at the edge of woods. - unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Found on a weed at the edge of woods. - unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Found on a weed at the edge of woods. - unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Found on a weed at the edge of woods. - unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Found on a weed at the edge of woods. - unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: male		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: male
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: male		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: male
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: female		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: female
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: female		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: Found on a weed at the edge of woods. State record