Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

Acinopterus acuminatus Van Duzee, 1892 - No Common Name CICADELLIDAE Members:			NC Records	Public View

synonym

description

A species with distinctive pointed wing tips and a dark overall color, with wings darker than the head and body. When viewed from above, the head is distinctly narrower than the pronotum and the body bulges out near the pronotum before tapering at the wingtips, shaped almost like an upside down slender tear drop. The head and [part of the] pronotum are typically greenish, while the wings are typically dark brown in color, sometimes with a blue hue. The wings are smoky and iridescent, with the nervures fuscous; some cells, typically closer to the wing edge, may be darker than the rest of the wing, almost black in color, while other cells can be whitish. The legs are a similar greenish color to the face, except for the hindlegs which are bicolored with a dark brown base. The abdomen is pale, frequently black above, and infuscated at the basal and apical segments of the venter in females. The male subgenital plates are long and narrow, being a little longer than the last ventral segment and about one-third wider at the base than at their divergent tips. The female pregenital sternite is rather long, with the posterior margin notched in the middle; either side of the notch is a broadly rounded lobe sloping towards the lateral angles. The length is roughly 5.0-7.0 mm. (Lawson 1920, 1922; Beamer & Lawson 1938)

For images of specimens as well as diagrams of the species, see: 3I.

Nymphs are greenish overall.

distribution

Transcontinental, though largely southern in distribution. Seemingly ranging from Alaska south to Colombia. (3I)

abundance

Uncommon to locally common, recorded across the state; likely more abundant in the right habitat.

seasonal_occurrence

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

habitat

Grassy, brushy, field-type habitats and forest edge (near grass).

plant associates

Grasses, Wild Geranium, Amphiachyris and Tetraneuris species (daisies) (Lawson 1920); Pinus rigida (3I)

behavior

comments

While A. acuminatus is the common and widespread member of this genus in the East, there is another species, A. angulatus, that could potentially be encountered. It is primarily a Southwestern U.S. species, but there are a couple records from the Southeast from FL and DC. It is a reddish color overall, lacking dark coloration; supposedly the wing tips are more blunt too, not as pointed. For more on A. angulatus, see: DeLong & Severin 1947a, DeLong & Severin 1947b.

status

[Native:] [Introduced:] [Extirpated:]

list_type

[Official:] [Provisional:]

adult_id

Unmistakable and widely known Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens
Identifiable from photos showing undersides, or other specialized views [e.g., legs, face]
Identifiable only by close inspection of structural features or by DNA analysis NULL

nymph_id

Unmistakable and widely known Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants
Identifiable from close inspection of specimens or by DNA analysis
Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood NULL

G_rank

S_rank

rank_comments

tribe

Acinopterini

subgenus

Species Photo Gallery for Acinopterus acuminatus No Common Name
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Caught Sweeping	Photo by: Paul Scharf Warren Co. Comment: Caught sweeping
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Halifax Co. Comment: Caught sweeping	Photo by: Paul Scharf Halifax Co. Comment: Caught sweeping
	Photo by: Paul Scharf Halifax Co. Comment: Caught sweeping	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Halifax Co. Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Vance Co. Comment: Field/forest edge	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Vance Co. Comment: Field/forest edge
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Vance Co. Comment: Field/forest edge	Photo by: B. Bockhahn Harnett Co. Comment: CACR
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Weedy area near a hardwoods.	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.9mm, collected from sweep in overgrown retention area
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.9mm, collected from sweep in overgrown retention area	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.9mm, collected from sweep in overgrown retention area
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Caught sweeping. Grassy, weedy area near hardwoods.	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Mecklenburg Co. Comment: A very light colored individual. Caught sweeping. Grassy, weedy area near hardwoods.
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Iredell Co. Comment: Caught sweeping in weedy field.	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6.3 mm female, sweep through area with extensive weedy vegetation
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6.3 mm female, sweep through area with extensive weedy vegetation	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 6.3 mm female, sweep through area with extensive weedy vegetation
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: male, one of several caught in sweep of low area in weedy detention basin	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: male, one of several caught in sweep of low area in weedy detention basin
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.5 mm male, sweep of low vegetation	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.5 mm male, sweep of low vegetation
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment: 5.5 mm male, sweep of low vegetation	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment:	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment:
	Photo by: J. B. Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: male, 5.2 mm	Photo by: J. B. Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: male, 5.2 mm
	Photo by: J. B. Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: male, 5.2 mm	Photo by: J. B. Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: male, 5.2 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female; is it A. angulatus? Something undescribed?	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female; is it A. angulatus? Something undescribed?
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female; is it A. angulatus? Something undescribed?	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female; is it A. angulatus? Something undescribed?
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female; is it A. angulatus? Something undescribed?	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 6.2 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 6.2 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 6.2 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Scotland Co. Comment:	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Scotland Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Scotland Co. Comment:	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Iredell Co. Comment: Caught sweeping in weedy field.
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Rutherford Co. Comment:	Photo by: Scott Bolick Rutherford Co. Comment:
	Photo by: Scott Bolick Rutherford Co. Comment:

Species Photo Gallery for Acinopterus acuminatus No Common Name