Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

Fitchana vitellina (Fitch, 1851) - No Common Name CICADELLIDAE Members:			NC Records	Public View

synonym

description

A fairly distinctively patterned orange species, with yellowish head, face, and anterior base of the pronotum; the head is moderately pointed. The eyes are greenish-yellow, and the legs are yellowish with darker coloration at the joints. The posterior half of the pronotum is orange-brown, sometimes with three pale longitudinal markings. The scutellum is yellowish with orange-brown basal corners. There is a thin black line on an otherwise yellow face, below the vertex margin. The forewings are orange-brown with pale speckling; the base of each clavus is a darker brown, and there is an oblique transverse brown band closer to the tips that forms a V. The male subgenital plates are short, triangular and pointed. The posterior margin of the female pregenital sternite has a large rounded lobe on either side of a short median projection. Adult males are 5.0 mm long, females are 6.0-6.5 mm [though based on records collected in NC below, males can range to around 6.0 mm and females to 6.8 mm]. (Hepner, 1947)

For more images of this species, see: BG. For images of a pinned specimen and drawings of various aspects of the species, see: 3I.

distribution

Primarily Northeastern United States and Southeastern Canada, occurs as far south as the southern Appalachians in North Carolina (also reported from Clarksville in TN); also reported from western Canada. (Hepner, 1947)

abundance

Recorded from several counties in the western part of the state, probably more abundant in at least the mountains; this species was not previously known from the state.

seasonal_occurrence

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

habitat

Has been found in forest edge, fields, meadows and lawns.

plant associates

Has been reported from blackberry and dewberry, on which it can cause leaves to curl and redden; also collected from grasses, sedges and shrubs. (Hepner, 1947)

behavior

Can be attracted at night with a light.

comments

This species is part of a taxonomic conundrum. Most authors treat vitellina as belonging to the genus Fitchana, but it has also been placed within Platymetopius as P. vitellinus. While there is limited genetic evidence to suggest that Fitchana and Platymetopius are related, its premature as of right now to synonymize the two genera and we will treat our specimens in North Carolina as belonging to Fitchana.

Additionally, three species were at one point described for North America. However, the rationale for these separations seems unclear. Hepner (1947) noted that vitellina had a wide range across the continent and there was little variation outside of specimens from Tennessee that were slightly larger. C. Dietrich notes the following: "Various authors have treated those other two Fitchana species as synonyms of vitellina. In his catalogue, Metcalf lists them as valid but it’s not clear why. I don’t think anyone has described or illustrated the male genitalia of all 3 based on study of the type specimens, so their status remains unclear."

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

Athysanini

subgenus

Species Photo Gallery for Fitchana vitellina No Common Name
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: forest edge with small lawn and meadow nearby - unid_leafhopper	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: forest edge with small lawn and meadow nearby
	Photo by: Ken Kneidel Yancey Co. Comment: forest edge with small lawn and meadow nearby	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: male, 6.0 mm, and female, 7.0 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: male, 6.0 mm, and female, 7.0 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: male and female
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: male and female	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Ashe Co. Comment: male and female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: 2 male, 1 female	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: 2 male, 1 female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: 2 male, 1 female	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: 2 male, 1 female
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: 1 female (6.8 mm), 2 male ( mm)	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: 1 female (6.8 mm), 2 male ( mm)
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: 1 female (6.8 mm), 2 male (6.1 mm)	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: 1 female (6.8 mm), 2 male (6.1 mm)
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: 1 female (6.8 mm), 2 male (6.1 mm)	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: males
	Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: males	Photo by: Ted Wilcox Watauga Co. Comment: unid_leafhopper

Species Photo Gallery for Fitchana vitellina No Common Name