Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

Cixius nervosus (Linnaeus, 1758) - No Common Name CIXIIDAE Members:			NC Records	Public View

synonym

description

A brownish to dark gray species with two uneven somewhat dark bands that transverse the wings. These bands are located at the base of the wings and near the tip; the color and pattern of the wings can vary among individuals. Males of this species have a distinctive tail, with elongate processes on segment 10 (the anal tube), which can be seen with a hand lens and without dissection. Adults tend to have the clypeus (lower part of face) paler than the frons (upper part of face); this is a key characteristic. The base color of the head and thorax are typically tawny, and the pronotum is often entirely pale. Males also have a characteristic hook projection on the anal tube of the genitalia. Adult males are 5.5-7.1 mm long, while females are 6.5-8.0 mm. (Kramer 1981)

distribution

Possibly the most common Cixius in Eastern North America and perhaps even North America, found throughout the United States and Canada. This species is also widespread in the Old World, found across Europe, western Asia, Russia and Northern Africa (UDEL)

abundance

Very common in the mountains, possibly more abundant in the right habitat.

seasonal_occurrence

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

habitat

Has been found in open grassy areas near mixed hardwood forest.

plant associates

"Nymphs of cixiids are subterranean, feeding on roots and possibly fungi. The significance of adult host records is unclear. Many cixiids are presumed to be polyphagous (as adults), most often on woody plants." Adults are polyphagous on woody plants, including: Salix (willow, Salicaceae), Alnus, Betula, Corylus, Tilia (basswood, Tiliaceae), Abies balsamea (balsam fir, Pinaceae), Picea mariana (black spruce, Pinaceae)

behavior

Can be attracted at night with a light.

comments

This species can be confused with C. pini. It is especially important to obtain a view of the underside, as the frons color can differentiate these two species: in pini, the face is typically entirely black, whereas in nervosus the face ranges from having a contrastingly pale clypeus to being entirely light in color. Additionally, males of nervosus have a characteristic hook projection on the anal tube that is easily seen without dissection (C. Bartlett pers. comment).

Some sources list the eastern population of this species, east of the Rocky Mountains, as C. basalis. Charles Bartlett notes that "Cixius nervosus is the senior synonym of Cixius basalis, which is currently not a valid name (and remains so until published otherwise). Superficially it looks similar to pini and coloepeum- in size and color. You might be able to find differences in pattern of coloration among these species, but I have been unable to find anything that I consistently believe outside of what is listed above. In specimens (as opposed to photos) I can separate nervosus consistently based on the tail (for males), and the bicolored front. I have tried hard to find a consistent difference between pini and coloepeum - I think there must be - but I have always dissected to be sure" (pers. comment). Cixius can be very difficult to ID and therefore a species identification may not be possible for some individuals.

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

Cixiini

subgenus

Species Photo Gallery for Cixius nervosus No Common Name
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Avery Co. Comment: grassy, open area with shrubby vegetation and mixed forest nearby	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Avery Co. Comment: grassy, open area with shrubby vegetation and mixed forest nearby; male
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Avery Co. Comment: grassy, open area with shrubby vegetation and mixed forest nearby	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Avery Co. Comment: open area near mixed hardwood forest
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf Avery Co. Comment: open area near mixed hardwood forest	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Ashe Co. Comment: collected by Bo Sullivan; male,
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Ashe Co. Comment: collected by Bo Sullivan; male, 7.1 mm	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Ashe Co. Comment: collected by Bo Sullivan; male,
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger Ashe Co. Comment: collected by Bo Sullivan; male, 7.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: photographed by K. Kittelberger;
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: photographed by K. Kittelberger;	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: photographed by K. Kittelberger;
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: photographed by K. Kittelberger;	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: photographed by K. Kittelberger;
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: photographed by K. Kittelberger;	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: photographed by K. Kittelberger;
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: photographed by K. Kittelberger;	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: photographed by K. Kittelberger;
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: photographed by K. Kittelberger;	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: photographed by K. Kittelberger
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: photographed by K. Kittelberger; confirmed via specimen by C. Bartlett	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: male, 7.0 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: male, 7.0 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: male, 7.0 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: male, 7.0 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: male, 7.0 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: male, 7.0 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: male, 7.0 mm
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_planthopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_planthopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_planthopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_planthopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_planthopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_planthopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_planthopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_planthopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_planthopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_planthopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_planthopper	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_planthopper
	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_planthopper	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Ashe Co. Comment: Caught sweeping in a weedy, grassy field.
	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Ashe Co. Comment: Caught sweeping in a weedy, grassy field.	Photo by: Rob Van Epps Ashe Co. Comment: Caught sweeping in a weedy, grassy field.

Species Photo Gallery for Cixius nervosus No Common Name