Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

MEMBRACIDAE Members:	NC Records
Atymna helena - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: MEMBRACIDAE	Subfamily: Smiliinae	Tribe: Smiliini
Taxonomic Author: (Woodruff 1915)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist Google
Description: Males have a greenish-yellow base color anteriorly, with brown to chestnut coloration posteriorly. While the pattern on the pronotum varies among individuals, it typically consists of an enlarged creamy central section (and possibly a small transverse creamy band near the apex) that are outlined in dark brown (and there tends to be pale speckling within the brown). The wings are largely hyaline, except for some dark brown at the bases and apices. The wing nervures are brown on the apical half and creamy towards the base. The abdomen is largely black, with segments outlined in white. Females have a distinctly higher and arcuate dorsal crest than the males and are greenish overall with white irrorations. The margin of the pronotum is bordered with reddish-orange. Adult males are 6 mm long while females are 7 mm. (Kopp & Yonke 1973) 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.

Distribution: Eastern North America, where uncommon

Abundance: Rare, recorded from a single county in the Piedmont; likely more present and just under-collected.

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Mixed hardwood forest, with oaks

Plant Associates: Swamp white oak, white oak, red oak, pin oak, bur oak, black oak, chinquapin oak, bitternut hickory (Kopp & Yonke 1973)

Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.

Comment: This species is perhaps most easily confused with Cyrtolobus dixianus (and the two should likely be members of the same genus), as the two species (particularly the females) have a very similar color pattern. The best way to differentiate these species are the shapes of their pronotal crests. In C. dixianus, the crest is much higher and rounded, giving the species a larger look to it. In A. helena, the crest is not as high and instead looks elongated and tapered.

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Atymna helena No Common Name 13
	Photo by: Kelli Ashby Durham Co. Comment: Found under small Oak tree	Photo by: Kelli Ashby Durham Co. Comment: Found under small Oak tree
	Photo by: Kelli Ashby Durham Co. Comment: Found under small Oak tree	Photo by: Kelli Ashby Durham Co. Comment: Found under small Oak tree
	Photo by: Kelli Ashby Durham Co. Comment: Found under small Oak tree	Photo by: Kelli Ashby Durham Co. Comment: Several on under oak leaf
	Photo by: Kelli Ashby Durham Co. Comment: Several on under oak leaf	Photo by: Kelli Ashby Durham Co. Comment: Several on under oak leaf
	Photo by: Kelli Ashby Durham Co. Comment: Several on under oak leaf	Photo by: Kelli Ashby Durham Co. Comment: Several on under oak leaf
	Photo by: Kelli Ashby Durham Co. Comment: At UV light - unid_treehopper	Photo by: Kelli Ashby Durham Co. Comment: At UV light - unid_treehopper
	Photo by: Kelli Ashby Durham Co. Comment: At UV light; state record

Atymna helena - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Atymna helena No Common Name 13