Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

Melanoliarus vicarius (Walker, 1851) - No Common Name CIXIIDAE Members:			NC Records	Public View

synonym

description

General appearance resembles M. quinquelineatus: "The vertex and mesonotum are fuscous to castaneous in color, with the mesonotal carinae typically concolorous but sometimes a dull orange. The vertex is moderately broad and variable, with the median length typically about equal to the width of the apex of the posterior emargination. The face is usually fuscous to brown in color, sometimes castaneous, with prominent carinae that range from brown to orange. The frons is moderately narrow with the width greater than the median length. The wings are highly variable in color, being almost immaculate in some specimens and variously banded and spotted with fuscous in other specimens. Well-marked individuals have two or three spots in the costal cells. The wing venation is typically pale except where brown spotting or banding occurs." The stigma is a distinct brown color but narrower than that of quinquelineatus. Adult males are 6.0 to 8.2 mm long. (Mead & Kramer, 1982)

distribution

Primarily Souteastern United States (UDEL)

abundance

Recorded from several counties in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.

seasonal_occurrence

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

habitat

plant associates

Collected from woody plants, including Quercus laevis, Galactia elliottii, Psidium quajava, and Pinus sp. (Mead & Kramer, 1982)

"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." (UDEL)

behavior

Can be attracted at night with a light.

comments

This may be the most difficult genus of planthoppers, perhaps even hoppers to identify in North Carolina. This species is most similar to M. quinquelineatus, and together quinquelineatus and vicarius form a complex/cluster within Melanoliarus. These two species are unlikely, as of right now, to be distinguishable by photo alone and instead need to be dissected, but vicarius does tend to be longer and have wings that are more highly colored. There are also slight differences in the male genitalia of these two closely related species: see Mead & Kramer, 1982 for additional information on these differences.

Mead & Kramer note that this species is likely univoltine (having a single brood).

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

Pentastirini

subgenus

Species Photo Gallery for Melanoliarus vicarius No Common Name
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 8.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 8.1 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 8.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 8.1 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 8.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 8.1 mm
	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: PSUC_FEM 000066890rndate unknown; collected some time in 1968rndet. C.R. Bartlettrnmale	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: PSUC_FEM 000066890rndate unknown; collected some time in 1968rndet. C.R. Bartlettrnmale
	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: PSUC_FEM 000066890rndate unknown; collected some time in 1968rndet. C.R. Bartlettrnmale	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 7.1 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 7.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 7.1 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 7.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment: male; 7.1 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: female, 9.0 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 7.2 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 7.2 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 7.2 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 7.2 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 7.2 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 7.2 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 7.3 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 7.3 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 7.3 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 7.3 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Craven Co. Comment: female, 7.3 mm

Species Photo Gallery for Melanoliarus vicarius No Common Name