Texas Treehoppers - Family Membracidae

Deitz and Wallace (2012) report literature records for some 75 spp. of membracids in Texas,
though this is probably a gross under estimate due to the lack of Texas membracid publications.
Nearly 50 spp. are represented here.

I wish to thank Andy Hamilton for his gracious assistance with many of the following ID's,
but any errors here are mine alone.

Specimen photos from the TAMUIC and the UTIC collections

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

Subfamily Centrotinae

Tylocentrus reticulatus Van Duzee - Tylocentrus reticulatus - Tylocentrus reticulatus Van Duzee - Range: sw US

Selenacentrus wallacei Morris & Dietrich - Range: TX, n. Mex.

Subfamily Darninae

Stictopelta marmorata Goding - Stictopelta marmorata=Stictopelta marmorata? - Stictopelta marmorata - Stictopelta marmorata Goding - Range: sw US to s. TX
Stictopelta varians Fowler - Stictopelta varians=Stictopelta varians Fowler - Stictopelta varians=Stictopelta varians Fowler - Stictopelta varians - Stictopelta varians Fowler - Range: CA-AZ, c. TX

Subfamily Stegaspidinae

Microcentrus perditus (Amyot & Serville) - Microcentrus perditus=Microcentrus perditus (Amyot & Serville) - Microcentrus perditus - Microcentrus perditus (Amyot & Serville) - Range: e NA to NM / ne Mex.

Subfamily Membracinae

Platycotis vittata (Fabricius) - Platycotis vittata=Platycotis vittata (Fabricius) - Platycotis vittata=Oak Treehopper - Platycotis vittata - Oak Treehopper - Platycotis vittata (Fabricius) - Range: e. US, AZ & w. coast
Umbonia crassicornis (Amyot and Serville) - Umbonia crassicornis - male=Umbonia crassicornis (Amyot & Serville) - Umbonia crassicornis - female=Umbonia crassicornis (Amyot & Serville) - Umbonia crassicornis - female - Thorn Treehopper - Umbonia crassicornis (Amyot & Serville) - Range: FL peninsula, southmost TX
Campylenchia latipes (Say) - Campylenchia latipes - Campylenchia latipes (Say) - widely dist. across N. Amer.
Enchenopa - Two-marked Treehopper - Enchenopa binotata complex - Range: e. NA to AZ
Tylopelta gibbera (Stål) - Tylopelta gibbera=Tylopelta gibbera (Stål) - Tylopelta gibbera - Tylopelta gibbera (Stål) - se. US to AZ

Subfamily Smilinae

Acutalis tartarea (Say) - Acutalis tartarea=Acutalis tartarea (Say) - Acutalis tartarea=Acutalis tartarea (Say) - Acutalis tartarea - Acutalis tartarea (Say) - Range: e. NA to UT
Vanduzea segmentata (Fowler) - Vanduzea segmentata=Vanduzea segmentata (Fowler) - Vanduzea segmentata=Vanduzea segmentata (Fowler) - Vanduzea segmentata=Vanduzea segmentata (Fowler) - Vanduzea segmentata - Vanduzea segmentata (Fowler) - Range: s US to S. Amer.
Vanduzea triguttata (Burmeister) - Vanduzea triguttata=Vanduzea triguttata (Burmeister) - Vanduzea triguttata - Vanduzea triguttata (Burmeister) - Range: e. US to CA
Ceresa alta Walker - Ceresa alta=Ceresa alta Walker - Ceresa alta - Buffalo Treehopper - Ceresa alta Walker - one of the few pest species - Range: e NA + scattered w. NA records
Ceresa taurina (Fitch) - Ceresa taurina=Ceresa taurina (Fitch) - Ceresa taurina=Ceresa taurina (Fitch) - Ceresa taurina - Ceresa taurina (Fitch) - Range: e. NA to AZ
Ceresa festina Say - Ceresa festina Ceresa festina Say - Ceresa festina=Ceresa festina Say - Ceresa festina - Three-cornered Alfalfa Hopper - Ceresa festina Say - hosts on var. legumes & grasses - Range: widely dist. (even in the south)
Ceresa inermis (Fabricius) - Ceresa inermis=Ceresa inermis (Fabricius) - Ceresa inermis=Ceresa inermis (Fabricius) - Ceresa inermis - Ceresa inermis (Fabricius) - Range: widely dist. across NA (Note: black spots are anomalies)
Micrutalis parva (Goding) - Micrutalis parva - Micrutalis parva (Goding) - Range: s. US
Acutalis brunnea? - Micrutalis calva - Micrutalis calva (Say) - Range: e NA to NM
Publilia modesta (Uhler) - Publilia modesta - Publilia modesta (Uhler) - Range: w. NA
Polyglypta costata Burmeister - Polyglypta dorsalis - Polyglypta dorsalis Burmeister - Range: TX, GA (This is the only online photo of this species.)
Archasia auriculata (Fitch) - Archasia auriculata - Archasia auriculata (Fitch) - Range: e NA to NM
Archasia pallida (Fairmaire) - Archasia pallida=Archasia pallida (Fairmaire) - Archasia pallida - Archasia pallida (Fairmaire) - Range: e US to AZ Cyrtolobus arcuatus (Emmons) - Cyrtolobus arcuatus - male=Cyrtolobus arcuatus (Emmons) - Cyrtolobus arcuatus - female - Cyrtolobus arcuatus (Emmons) - Range: e. US to CO
Cyrtolobus dixianus Woodruff - Cyrtolobus dixianus - female - Cyrtolobus dixianus Woodruff - Range: e NA
Cyrtolobus fenestratus (Fitch) - Cyrtolobus fenestratus - male - Cyrtolobus fenestratus (Fitch) - Range: e. NA
Treehopper - Cyrtolobus fuliginosus - female - Cyrtolobus fuliginosus (Emmons) - Range: e. NA
Cyrtolobus - Cyrtolobus maculifrontis - female - Cyrtolobus maculifrontis (Emmons) - Range: e. NA
Cyrtolobus ovatus Van Duzee - Cyrtolobus ovatus - female - Cyrtolobus ovatus Van Duzee - Range: e. US
Cyrtolobus parvulus Woodruff - Cyrtolobus parvulus - Cyrtolobus parvulus Woodruff - Range: e. US
Treehopper - maybe Cyrtolobus - Cyrtolobus tuberosus - Cyrtolobus tuberosus (Fairmaire) - Range: e. NA
Smilia camelus (Fabricius) - Smilia camelus=Smilia camelus (Fabricius) - Smilia camelus=Smilia camelus (Fabricius) - Smilia camelus - male - Smilia camelus (Fabricius) - Range: e NA, CA
Smilia fasciata Amyot and Serville  - Smilia fasciata=Smilia fasciata Amyot & Serville - Smilia fasciata - Smilia fasciata Amyot & Serville - Range: e US
Entylia carinata (Forster) - Entylia carinata=Entylia carinata (Forster) - Entylia carinata - Entylia carinata (Forster) - Range: e. NA to S. Amer.
Ophiderma evelyna Woodruff - Ophiderma evelyna - Ophiderma evelyna Woodruff - Range: e. NA
Ophiderma grisea Woodruff - Ophiderma grisea - Ophiderma grisea Woodruff - Range: e. US
Ophiderma flavicephala Goding - Ophiderma flavicephala - female - Ophiderma flavicephala Goding - Range: e NA
Cyrtolobus muticus (Fabricius) - Xantholobus muticus - Xantholobus muticus (Fabricius) - Range: e. NA (aberrant individual)
Carynota mera (Say) - Carynota mera=Carynota mera (Say) - Carynota mera=Carynota mera (Say) - Carynota mera=Carynota mera (Say) - Carynota mera - Carynota mera (Say) - Range: e. NA
treehopper - Glossonotus acuminatus=BG2313 E8239 - Glossonotus acuminatus - Glossonotus acuminatus (Fabricius) - Range: e. NA
Glossonotus turriculatus (Emmons) - Glossonotus turriculatus=Glossonotus turriculatus (Emmons) - Glossonotus turriculatus - Glossonotus turriculatus (Emmons) - e. NA to NM
Treehopper - Telamona? - Heliria cristata=treehopper - Heliria cristata - Heliria cristata (Fairmaire) - Range: e. US
Palonica Palonica nogalana Ball - Palonica nogalana
Telamona concava Fitch - Telamona concava=Telamona concava Fitch - Telamona concava=Telamona concava Fitch - Telamona concava - Telamona concava Fitch - Range: e NA
Membracidae - Telamona excelsa=Telamona excelsa=Telamona unicolor Fitch - Telamona excelsa - female=Telamona unicolor Fitch - Telamona excelsa - female - Telamona excelsa (Fairmaire) - Range: e. US
Telamona maculata Van Duzee - Telamona maculata - Telamona maculata Van Duzee - Range: e. NA but uncommon in the south
Telamona monticola (Fabricius) - Telamona monticola=Telamona monticola - Telamona monticola (Fabricius) - Range: e. NA to NM-NV
Telamona projecta Butler - Telamona projecta=Telamona projecta Butler - Telamona projecta - Telamona projecta Butler - Range: e US
Telamona reclivata=Telamona reclivata Fitch - Telamona reclivata=Telamona reclivata Fitch - Telamona reclivata - Telamona reclivata Fitch - Range: e. NA. females have longer crests.
Telamona tristis Fitch - Telamona tristis - male - Telamona tristis Fitch- Range: e. NA, but uncommon in the south.


See also:

Annotated Photos of Central Texas Membracidae (9 genera) - Austin Bug Collection

A Checklist of the Membracidae of Florida (26 genera, 64 spp.) - Rothschild, M. J. 2012. (Note: images are enlargable)

Guide to North American Membracidae - BugGuide

Treehoppers: Aetalionidae, Melizoderidae, and Membracidae (Hemiptera) - Deitz, L. L. and M. S. Wallace (team leaders). 2010.

Checklist of the Membracidae of Oklahoma (30 genera,  84 spp.) - OK State University

Biologia Centrali-Americana: Insecta, Hemiptera-Homoptera - Fowler, W. W. 1894-1896. Tabs 1-10.


Selected References:

Andrade, G.S. de. (2008) On the synonymy of Stictocephala alta (Walker) and Thelia constans Walker (Hemiptera: Membracidae). Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 25: 148-149.

Ball, E.D. (1933) Some new treehoppers from the Southwest with notes on others. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 46: 25–32.

Bartlett, C.R., Deitz, L.L., Rothschild, M.J. and Wallace, M.S. (2008) Treehopper diversity (Hemiptera: Membracidae) of Little Orleans, Allegany Co., Maryland. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 110(1): 130–143.

Boggs, R.J. (1980) A systematic review of Tribe Polyglyptini (Homoptera: Membracidae) with emphasis on selected genera (Bryantopsis. Entylia. Publilia. Sturmella). M.S. thesis [unpublished], Department of Entomology, University of Missouri-Columbia, 113 pp.

Branch, H. (1914) Morphology and biology of the Membracidae of Kansas. Kansas University Science Bulletin 8: 73-115.

Dietrich, C.H., McKamey, S.H. and Deitz, L.L. (2001) Morphology based phylogeny of the treehopper family Membracidae (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Membracoidea).Systematic Entomology 26(3): 213-239.

Dietrich, C.H., M.J. Rothschild. and L.L. Deitz. (1999) Checklist and host plants of the treehoppers of North Carolina. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 101: 242-262.

Deitz, L.L. (1975) Classification of the higher categories of the New World treehoppers (Homoptera: Membracidae). North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin, 225: 1–177. 

Deitz, L.L. (1989) Bibliography of the Membracoidea (Homoptera: Aetalionidae, Biturritiidae, Membracidae, and Nicomiidae) 1981–1987. North Carolina Agricultural Research Service Technical Bulletin, 290: 1–31. 

Deitz, L.L. and Kopp, D.D. (1987) Bibliography of the Membracoidea (Homoptera: Aetalionidae, Biturritiidae, Membracidae, and Nicomiidae) 1956-1980. North Carolina Agricultural Research Service Technical Bulletin, 284: 1–39. 

Deitz, L.L. and Wallace, M.S. (2010 and updates) Treehoppers: Aetalionidae, Melizoderidae, and Membracidae (Hemiptera). Available from http://treehoppers.insectmuseum.org (accessed 10 May 2012)

Deitz L.L. and M.S. Wallace. (2012) Richness of the Nearctic treehopper fauna (Hemiptera: Aetalionidae and Membracidae). Zootaxa 3423: 1–26. (Full PDF)

Dennis, C.J. (1963) Membracidae in a Southern Oklahoma Woods. Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science 43: 95-98.

Dennis, C.J. (1964) Membracidae of Southeastern Oklahoma. Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science 44: 47-51.

Dennis, C.J. (1965) Oklahoma treehoppers (Homoptera, Membracidae).  Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science 45: 50-64.

Fowler, W.W. (1894-1896) Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera, Part 1. Biologia Centrali Americana 2: 1-160, Tabs 1-10.

Funkhouser, W.D. (1917) Biology of the Membracidae of the Cayuga Lake Basin. Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station Memoir 2: 177-445.

Goding, F.W. (1893) Bibliographical and synonymical catalogue of the described Membracidae of North America. Bulletin of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History, 3: 391–482.

Hamilton, K.G.A. and Cocroft, R.B. (2010) Establishing the identity of existing names in the North American Enchenopa binotata species complex of treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae). Entomological News, 120(5): 534–565.

Kopp, D.D. and Tsai, J.H. (1983) Systematics of the genus Idioderma Van Duzee (Homoptera: Membracidae) and biology of I. virescens Van Duzee. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 76(2): 149–157.

Kopp, D.D. and Yonke, T.R. (1973-1974) The treehoppers of Missouri: [parts 1-4]. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 46(1): 42-64 [1973 (part 1)]; 46(2): 233-276 [1973 (part 2)]; 46(3): 375-421 [1973 (part 3)]; 47(1): 80-130 [1974 (part 4)].

Kopp, D.D. and Yonke, T.R. (1979) A taxonomic review of the tribe Ceresini (Homoptera: Membracidae). Miscellaneous Publications of the Entomological Society of America 11(2): 1-97.

Lawson, P.B. (1922) The Membracidae of Kansas. Kansas University Science Bulletin 14: 27-110.

Maw, H.E.L., Foottit, R.G., Hamilton, K.G.A. and Scudder, G.G.E. (2000) Checklist of the Hemiptera of Canada and Alaska. NRC-CNRC, National Research Council, Research Press, Ottawa, 220 pp.

McKamey, S.H. (1998) Taxonomic Catalogue of the Membracoidea (exclusive of leafhoppers): Second Supplement to Fascicle 1—Membracidae of the General Catalogue of the Hemiptera. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 60: 1–377.

Metcalf, Z.P. and V. Wade. (1963) A Bibliography of the Membracoidea and fossil Homoptera (Homoptera: Auchenorhyncha). North Carolina State, Raleigh, 200 pp. 

Metcalf, Z.P. and V. Wade. (1965) General catalogue of the Homoptera. A Supplement to Fascicle I - Membracidae of the general catalogue of Hemiptera. Membracoidea. In two sections. North Carolina State University, Raleigh. 1552 pp.

Morris, B.O. and Dietrich, C.H. (2016) Hidden in plain sight: a remarkable new genus of Nearctic treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 109(3): 488-494.

Quinn, M.A. (2000) Abundance and distribution of potential arthropod prey species in a typical Golden-cheeked Warbler habitat. Unpublished thesis. Texas A&M University, College Station. ix + 182 pp.

Rothschild, M.J. (1996 [dated 1995]) The Membracidae (Homoptera) of Maryland-Part I. The Maryland Entomologist 4(1): 1–9.

Van Duzee, E.P. (1908) Studies in North American Membracidae. Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences 9(1): 29–127.

Van Duzee, E.P. (1917) Catalogue of the Hemiptera of American north of Mexico: excepting the Aphididae, Coccidae and Aleurodidae. Vol. 2. University of California Press, Berkeley. xiv + 902 pp.

Wade, V. (1966) Species index of the Membracoidea and fossil Homoptera (Homoptera: Auchenorhyncha). A supplement to fascicle I Membracidae of the General Catalogue of the Hemiptera. General Catalogue of the Homoptera. North Carolina State University, Raleigh. 40 pp.

Wallace, M.S. (2008) Occurrence of treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Smiliinae) on oaks in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, 2004–2006. Journal of Insect Science, 8, 59.

Wallace, M.S. (2011) Morphology-based phylogenetic analysis of the treehopper tribe Smiliini (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Smiliinae), with reinstatement of the tribe Telamonini. Zootaxa, 3047: 1–41.

Wallace M.S. (2014) The host plants of the Telamonini treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Smiliinae) and the first diagnoses of nymphs for 14 spp. Zootaxa 3878: 146-166.

Wallace, M.S. (2015) Taxonomic changes in the treehopper genera Helonica Ball, Telamona Fitch, and Palonica Ball (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Smiliinae: Telamonini) ZooTaxa 4007(2):

Wallace, M.S., Bartlett, C.R., Deitz, L.L. and Rothschild, M.J. (2009) New state records of treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae) for Delaware, Maryland, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 111(3): 734–738. 

Wallace, M.S. and Deitz, L.L. (2004) Phylogeny and systematics of the treehopper subfamily Centrotinae (Hemiptera: Membracidae). Memoirs on Entomology International, 19: 1−377. 

Wallace, M.S. and Deitz, L.L. (2007) Treehoppers. Pp. 106–108. In: Lamp, W.O., Berberet, R.C., Higley, L.G. & Baird, C.R. (Eds.), Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, Maryland. 

Wallace, M.S., Deitz, L.L. and Rothschild, M.J. (2003) Checklist of the treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 105(3): 578–591. 

Wallace, M.S. and Maloney, S.M. (2010) Treehopper (Hemiptera: Membracidae) biodiversity and seasonal abundance in the Pocono till barrens, Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 112(2): 281–294.


21 August 2017 © Mike Quinn / entomike@gmail.com / Texas Entomology / Photo Techniques