Hoppers of North Carolina:
Spittlebugs, Leafhoppers, Treehoppers, and Planthoppers
Scientific Name: Search Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
« »
Oncometopia orbona - Broad-headed Sharpshooter     CICADELLIDAE Members: NC Records Public View

© Kyle Kittelberger- side view
© Kyle Kittelberger- top view
© Kyle Kittelberger- nymph
© David Enrique- nymph to adult spectrum
synonym
description One of our most recognizable, distinct leafhoppers and also one of the largest in the state at 11-12mm (BG). This species has a mostly blue body with black markings; the color is typically a light blue, but some individuals can also appear dark blue. The tip of the wings are a solid dark, blackish color. The front of the head, as well as the scutellum, legs, and underside of the body are yellow. The nymph shares a similar body shape to the adults, especially the head. Nymphs typically have a mostly greenish body, especially the abdomen, with a pale head; the eyes are dark, sometimes red.
distribution A common and widespread species, recorded throughout the eastern U.S., from Texas through the Southeast and parts of the Central U.S., northeast to Pennsylvania (per Bugguide records). BG
abundance Very common species, has been recorded throughout the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, as well as in the Mountains.
seasonal_occurrence
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
habitat A common inhabitant of grassy, field-type, brushy habitat as well as forest edge. Has also been found in mixed hardwood forests and pine forests.
plant associates This species is host to dozens of plant species, including Silphium integrifolium and Catalpa. For a complete list of host plants, see this page: host plants. Has been found on pickerel weed before.
behavior This species forages on herbaceous plants in the warmer months in grassy, brushy habitats and moves to forests in the Fall where it lives on trees and shrubs behavior.

Can be attracted at night with black lights, but not too often; most commonly found during daytime searches or resting on herbaceous vegetation.

comments O. orbona is a vector of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which causes Pierce's disease on grapes. BHSS
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 Proconiini
subgenus

Species Photo Gallery for Oncometopia orbona Broad-headed Sharpshooter

Photo by: Paul Scharf
Warren Co.
Comment: Female , White pouch is wax she secrets to protect her eggs. Caught while sweeping		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Wake Co.
Comment: mixed hardwood forest habitat
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Wake Co.
Comment: pine forest habitat; a nymph		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf
Wake Co.
Comment: tall grassy habitat
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf
Wake Co.
Comment: tall grassy habitat		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf
Wake Co.
Comment: tall grassy habitat
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn
Orange Co.
Comment: Field habitat with a sweetgum edge		Photo by: Paul Scharf
Warren Co.
Comment: NYNPH, Caught Sweeping
Photo by: Paul Scharf
Warren Co.
Comment: NYMPH, Spotted on Unknown Plant Stem		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: Paul Scharf
Warren Co.
Comment: Nymph, Caught sweeping		Photo by: T. DeSantis
Camden Co.
Comment: DISW - Boardwalk
Photo by: Paul Scharf, B.Bockhahn
Rockingham Co.
Comment: Nymph, Caught Sweeping		Photo by: Britta Muiznieks
Dare Co.
Comment:
Photo by: j.wyche
Gates Co.
Comment: MEMI		Photo by: Paul Scharf
Warren Co.
Comment: Caught sweeping
Photo by: Roger Shaw
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: R Emmitt
Durham Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman
Scotland Co.
Comment: unid_planthopper		Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman
Scotland Co.
Comment: unid_planthopper
Photo by: Rob Van Epps
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: Greenway - weedy edge near woods. 		Photo by: R Emmitt
Orange Co.
Comment: landed on the sheet walked to the top and left the scene.
Photo by: L. Amos
Warren Co.
Comment: KELA		Photo by: Dorothy E. Pugh
Carteret Co.
Comment: FOMA
Photo by: Hunter Phillips
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: R Emmitt
Orange Co.
Comment: Landed several times on the box elder leaves.
Photo by: Jacob Lemberg
Granville Co.
Comment: Insect was shy, moved to opposite side of leaf when I tried to photograph.		Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman
Wake Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Randy Emmitt
Orange Co.
Comment: Moving in and out of holes in cucumber leaves
Photo by: vin stanton
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Vin Stanton
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/28477234
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/28477234		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/28705630
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/28705630		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/28970631
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/28970631		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/28970631
Photo by: Jim Petranka
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: David Enrique
Wake Co.
Comment: Found inside of a small burrow of a Psen erythropoda wasp (I think), in a house plant pot.
Photo by: David Enrique
Wake Co.
Comment: Found inside of a small burrow of a Psen erythropoda wasp (I think), in a house plant pot.		Photo by: David Enrique
Wake Co.
Comment: Found inside of a small burrow of a Psen erythropoda wasp (I think), in a house plant pot.
Photo by: David Enrique
Wake Co.
Comment: Found inside of a small burrow of a Psen erythropoda wasp (I think), in a house plant pot.		Photo by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: found stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band
Photo by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: found stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band		Photo by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: stuck in Tanglefoot on a tree band on Quercus phellos
Photo by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: trapped in Tanglefoot on a tree band		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47569872
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47569872		Photo by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther
Craven Co.
Comment: Very flighty, reacted quickly to our presence and flew off after one picture. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50834633
Photo by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther
Craven Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther
Craven Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper
Photo by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther
Craven Co.
Comment: unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Barbara McRae
Macon Co.
Comment: It was resting on stem.
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/80044010		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81123505
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81799992		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81799992
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/83075148		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/83075146
Photo by: N. Williamson
Moore Co.
Comment: WEWO		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/82748592
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/82748560		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/82748553
Photo by: Melanie S Camp
Moore Co.
Comment: 2 about 4 to 6 inches apart. Both were still except when I would get close, but never went far. I couldn't get a picture of the 2nd one. The shrub is next to my porch in a wooded area in the north west corner of Moore.		Photo by: grinnin
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: Hopped from Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) leaves to blackberry leaves
Photo by: grinnin
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: Hopped from Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) leaves to blackberry leaves		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/89517212
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/88754534		Photo by: Simpson Eason
Durham Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/91065306
Photo by: Nell Cant
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Nell Cant
Durham Co.
Comment:
Photo by: B. Bockhahn
Durham Co.
Comment: New Hope Creek Biodiversity Survey (2021-2022)		Photo by: R. Newman
Carteret Co.
Comment: FOMA
Photo by: Mark Shields
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/110777130
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/121952139		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/122597918
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/124049511		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/124049511
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/124328537		Photo by: Rob Van Epps
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Tracy S. Feldman
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther
Wayne Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166510670		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/166510670
Photo by: Erich Hofmann
Columbus 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: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: sweep of low vegetation along the margin of an athletic field
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: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/214463184		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/214463184
Photo by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Ken Kneidel
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: