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

Scaphytopius nigrifrons - No Common Name


© John Rosenfeld- male; note black face
© John Rosenfeld- male
© Rob Van Epps- female; note dark face and wing
pattern
© Kyle Kittelberger- female- note head pattern
Taxonomy
Family: CicadellidaeSubfamily: Deltocephalinae
Identification
Online Photographs: BugGuide, GBIF  iNaturalist                                                                                  
Description: A dark species with a short, bluntly angled vertex. Males are entirely blackish, ranging in color from jet black to a glossy bluish black; the face is black, a key characteristic. Females are a dark brown overall, with a dark brown to black face that can have some small light dots and markings; the scutellum is orange. In both sexes, the vertex is marked with a pair of white elongated spots on either side of the midline; the margin of the vertex is also pale. Additionally, the wings in both sexes are largely unicolorous and lack most white markings; the white areolar spots are typically confined to two columns on either side of the apical crossveins, and there can be spots along the inner edge of the wings (down the back). The male subgenital plates are quite large, gradually narrowing and becoming rather blunt at the apexes. The female pregnital sternite is roundedly produced on the posterior margin. Adult males are 4.0 mm long, females are 4.6 mm. (DeLong 1948), (Hepner 1947)

For diagrams of this species, see: Zahniser.

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 United States, widespread but rare to uncommon.
Abundance: Recorded from several counties in the Piedmont and low mountains, likely more abundant in the right habitat.
Seasonal Occurrence
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Plant Associates:
Behavior: Can be attracted at night with a light.
Comment: NOTE: It is important to photograph the face of individuals of this species so that they can be distinguished from similar Scaphytopius. Males of S. nigrifrons can resemble S. frontalis but differ in the wing pattern (fewer white areolar spots on the wing in nigrifrons) and more importantly in the color of the face: black in nigrifrons, yellow in frontalis.
Status: Native
Global and State Rank:

Species Photo Gallery for Scaphytopius nigrifrons No Common Name

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/119471753
Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/119471753		Photo by: Margarita Lankford
Orange Co.
Comment: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/119471753
Photo by: Scott Bolick
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Scott Bolick
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn
Polk Co.
Comment: 		Photo by: Rob Van Epps
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: Caught sweeping in a grassy field.
Photo by: Randy Emmitt
Orange Co.
Comment: uv light - unid_leafhopper		Photo by: Randy Emmitt
Orange Co.
Comment: been seeing this, but difficult to get a decent photo. - unid_leafhopper
Photo by: John Rosenfeld
Out Of State Co.
Comment: male		Photo by: John Rosenfeld
Out Of State Co.
Comment: male
Photo by: John Rosenfeld
Out Of State Co.
Comment: male		Photo by: R Emmitt
Orange Co.
Comment: tentative
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: NCSU specimen; females		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: NCSU specimen; females
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: NCSU specimen; female		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: NCSU specimen; female
Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: NCSU specimen; female		Photo by: Kyle Kittelberger
Out Of State Co.
Comment: NCSU specimen; female
Photo by: R Emmitt
Orange Co.
Comment: tiny, 3-4 mm at best. - unid_leafhopper		Photo by: R Emmitt
Orange Co.
Comment: moth lights - unid_leafhopper