Hoppers of North Carolina:
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Oncopsis flavidorsum (Amyot & Serville, 1843) - No Common Name     CICADELLIDAE Members: NC Records Public View

© Kyle Kittelberger- male
© Kyle Kittelberger- male; note face
© Kyle Kittelberger- female (2%)
© Ted Wilcox- female (30%)
synonym
description Males are dark, with brown to blackish-brown wings that have a pale spot along the commissure (inner edge of the wings). The venter is yellow, with the legs ferruginous and the face yellow with a bold black circular shaped mark in the center and a black band along the margin of the head. The pronotum and scutellum or yellow to ferruginous, sometimes approaching black, with fuscous speckling. and a reddish thorax and face. Females are extremely varied in color, with at least 24 (!!) distinct color forms/phases. Three forms account for about 60% of those found in females examined in collections: all yellow except for the outer third of the wings (30% of specimens); yellow along the clavi (appearing as a bold "V") and on the pronotum, scutellum, and head with brown wing bases (10%); and similar wing coloration but with an orange scutellum, pronotum, and head (21%). The other color forms are much less common: some have a dark, almost black body with varying degrees of dark markings on the wings and a yellow "V" (6%); dark with yellow clavi and blackish wings and body (3%); yellow clavi with a brown border along the claval sutures (6%); yellow clavi and thorax with a brown outer edge to the wings near the costal margins (0.5%); reddish-brown thorax and dark reddish-brown wings, darker along the claval structure bordering the yellow "V" on the clavi, with clear wing tips (2%); and reddish-brown thorax with red-brown on wings restricted primarily to the claval structures, contrasting with the yellow clavi (3%). Even though there is extreme variation in coloration of females, they almost all have yellow clavi. Adult males are 4.0-4.6 mm long, while females are 3.9-4.9 mm. Nymphs are entirely ferruginous or brown. (Hamilton 1983)
distribution Eastern North America, ranging from the Northeast and southeastern Canada south into the Appalachians, as far south as North Carolina; also found in the Midwest and central Canada.
abundance Recorded from several counties in the northern mountains in the state, likely more abundant in this region in the right habitat. Uncommon to locally common.
seasonal_occurrence
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habitat Has been found in grassy, shrubby habitat near montane forest.
plant associates Alder, including speckled alder (Alnus rugosa) and Alnus serrulata (Hamilton 1983)
behavior
comments This is the most variable Oncopsis, in terms of female coloration, in our area, but is distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other Oncopsis species in the state. The 2% color form (reddish-brown thorax and dark reddish-brown wings, darker along the claval structure bordering the yellow "V" on the clavi, with clear wing tips) may be much more common in our region than elsewhere in the country. A majority of the females in the NCSU collection from North Carolina belong to this form.
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 Macropsini
subgenus Oncopsis

Species Photo Gallery for Oncopsis flavidorsum No Common Name

Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Avery Co.
Comment: grassy and vegetated, shrubby habitat surrounded by forest; rare female color form 		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Avery Co.
Comment: grassy and vegetated, shrubby habitat surrounded by forest; rare female color form
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Avery Co.
Comment: grassy and vegetated, shrubby habitat surrounded by forest; rare female color form 		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Avery Co.
Comment: grassy and vegetated, shrubby habitat surrounded by forest; rare female color form (3%)
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Alleghany Co.
Comment: NCSU specimens; nymph		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: NCSU specimen; male
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: NCSU specimen; male		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: NCSU specimen; male
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Avery Co.
Comment: male
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn, Paul Scharf
Avery Co.
Comment: male		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: An Alder and a Willow were somewhat intertwined. It was on the Willow, but i do not know which plant it was associated with. - unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: An Alder and a Willow were somewhat intertwined. It was on the Willow, but i do not know which plant it was associated with. - unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: An Alder and a Willow were somewhat intertwined. It was on the Willow, but i do not know which plant it was associated with. - unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: An Alder and a Willow were somewhat intertwined. It was on the Willow, but i do not know which plant it was associated with. - unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_treehopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Ted Wilcox
Watauga Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper