Hoppers of North Carolina:
Spittlebugs, Leafhoppers, Treehoppers, and Planthoppers
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MEMBRACIDAE Members: NC Records

Cyrtolobus dixianus - No Common Name



© Matthew S. Wallace- male

© Matthew S. Wallace- male

© Mark Rothschild- female
Taxonomy
Family: MEMBRACIDAESubfamily: Smiliinae
Taxonomic Author: Woodruff, 1924
Identification
Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF  iNaturalist                                                                                  
Description: A species with a fairly distinctive color pattern compared to other members of this genus. Males have coarser but sparser punctuation on their pronotum, as well as a shinier surface, than that of the female. Males have a yellowish green face and a dark pronotum, sometimes with pale spots and sometimes with transverse pale bands with a median spot. The body beneath is bright green, and the tergum of the abdomen is black, sometimes infringing on the green of ventral segments. The male's genital organs are black, legs are a bright yellowish-green. The forewings are hyaline, darker towards the rear. Females are a light green, sometimes yellowish color with pale spots. The face is a brighter yellow, as well as the sides of the abdomen. The eyes are green, centrally reddish brown. The pronotum is moderately arched, highest in the middle, and the body beneath is green. The forewings are hyaline, their veins greenish and distinct. The legs are green with rosy claws. Adult males are 6.5 mm long while females are 7.5 mm. (Kopp)
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 United States, west to Texas (Kopp)
Abundance: Uncommon, only a handful of records from the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Seasonal distribution: 26 April-26 May (CTNC)
Seasonal Occurrence
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Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Plant Associates: Quercus alba, Q. falcata, Q. palustris, Q. stellata (CTNC)
Behavior: To listen to the male courtship call for this genus, listen here. These courtship calls are not audible to the human ear, and the calls here are produced by recording the substrate vibrations that the treehoppers use to communicate through the plants themselves. The recorded call is then amplified so that it is now audible to human ears. Research has shown that treehoppers use vibrations to attract mates, to announce the discovery of a good feeding site, or to alert a defending mother to the approach of a predator (T.IM).
Comment:
Status: Native
Global and State Rank:
See also Habitat Account for General Oak-Hickory Forests

Species Photo Gallery for Cyrtolobus dixianus No Common Name

Photo by: Mark J. Rothschild
Out Of State Co.
Comment: female
Photo by: Matthew S. Wallace
Out Of State Co.
Comment: male