Hoppers of North Carolina

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

Family (Alpha):

CIXIIDAE Members:	NC Records
Melanoliarus quinquelineatus - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family: CIXIIDAE	Tribe: Pentastirini
Taxonomic Author: (Say, 1830)

Identification

Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF iNaturalist
Description: 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. Adult males are 5.4 to 6.7 mm long. (Mead & Kramer, 1982)

Distribution in North Carolina

County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.

Out of State Record(s)

Distribution: Eastern and Central North America, to at least the Rocky Mountains; one of the most common and widely distributed members of this genus in North America (UDEL)

Abundance: Recorded from a few counties in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.

Seasonal Occurrence

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats:

Plant Associates: Adults have been collected from Pinus rigida, Quercus ellipsoidalis, Carya sp., Quercus laevis, Pinus virginiana, Solidago (nymphs on roots). (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.

Comment: This may be the most difficult genus of planthoppers, perhaps even hoppers to identify in North Carolina. This species is most similar to M. vicarius, 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.

Nymphs of this species have been known to overwinter in Virginia (Mead & Kramer, 1982).

Status: Native

Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Melanoliarus quinquelineatus No Common Name
	Photo by: Erich Hofmann, David George, Rich Teper, Jeff Niznik New Hanover Co. Comment:	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: UDCC_TCN 00095034, det. C.R. Bartlett, female
	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: UDCC_TCN 00095034, det. C.R. Bartlett, female	Photo by: unknown Out Of State Co. Comment: UDCC_TCN 00095034, det. C.R. Bartlett, female
	Photo by: W.J. Morse Out Of State Co. Comment: UDCC_TCN 00106057, coll. W.J. Morse, det. C. R. Bartlett; male	Photo by: W.J. Morse Out Of State Co. Comment: UDCC_TCN 00106057, coll. W.J. Morse, det. C. R. Bartlett; male
	Photo by: W.J. Morse Out Of State Co. Comment: UDCC_TCN 00106057, coll. W.J. Morse, det. C. R. Bartlett; male	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 6.1 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 6.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 6.1 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 6.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 6.1 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 6.1 mm	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 6.1 mm
	Photo by: Bo Sullivan Jones Co. Comment: male, 6.1 mm

Melanoliarus quinquelineatus - No Common Name

Species Photo Gallery for Melanoliarus quinquelineatus No Common Name