Thelia bimaculata (Fab.)
Introduction
Treehoppers are Perfect for Valentines Day! When it comes to love songs Barry White and Johnny Mathis have nothing on the insect world. No longer will you think of treehoppers as just having shapely pronota (see image below). It turns out that some immature treehoppers also use vibrational signals to recruit siblings to a new feeding site or to alert their mother of an intruding predator!
Thelia bimaculata is one treehopper species of only two in the genus Thelia. Treehoppers are members of the family Membracidae that includes more than 3,000 species worldwide. Dietrich, Rothschild and Deitz (1999) found that at least 89 species of treehoppers occur in North Carolina based on museum specimens and collecting efforts.
Thelia bimaculata is one treehopper species of only two in the genus Thelia. Treehoppers are members of the family Membracidae that includes more than 3,000 species worldwide. Dietrich, Rothschild and Deitz (1999) found that at least 89 species of treehoppers occur in North Carolina based on museum specimens and collecting efforts.
Taxonomic History
Thelia belongs to the tribe Smiliini (Smiliinae) and was first described by Amyot and Serville in 1843. It includes only two species of which both are known in the United States and Canada. T. bimaculata was described by Fabricius in 1794. Aconophora lineosa Walker 1858 was synonomized by Deitz and Wallace in 2003 after examining the holotype specimen at the Natural History Museum, London. This note in the Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington (6 October 2003) and also includes a key to the two species of Thelia.
Diagnosis
Triangle shaped with a large pronotum. Pronotum striate and directed anterodorsally (slightly backwards). Male is dark brown or black with a yellow stripe on its side. Female without stripe. A key to the treehopper genera created by Matthew Wallace includes many great pictures and diagnostic characters.
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Copyright @ 2010, by Matt...
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Natural History
You can listen to the male courtship call of Thelia here:
[listen] Thelia (Membracidae: Smiliinae: Smiliini). Copyright © 2008, by Reginald B. Cocroft.
Kopp and Yonke’s (1974) review of the life history for this species stated that they laid eggs in the roots of the Black Locust under the litter on the forest floor. In the spring the eggs hatched and the nymphs migrated up to feed on fresh, tender stems. In New York state development from egg to adult takes about one month. Mating and egg laying (oviposition) begins in early summer. There is apparently one generation per year in North Carolina, New York, and Missouri.
Ten other genera of the tribe Smiliini occur in North Carolina. The majority of these feed on Oaks (Quercus sp.). Thus Thelia bimaculata is unusual in host preference. Also, they are sexually dimorphic where the female is larger and brown while the male is smaller, darker and has a bright yellow patch located on either side of his body (see images below).
[listen] Thelia (Membracidae: Smiliinae: Smiliini). Copyright © 2008, by Reginald B. Cocroft.
Kopp and Yonke’s (1974) review of the life history for this species stated that they laid eggs in the roots of the Black Locust under the litter on the forest floor. In the spring the eggs hatched and the nymphs migrated up to feed on fresh, tender stems. In New York state development from egg to adult takes about one month. Mating and egg laying (oviposition) begins in early summer. There is apparently one generation per year in North Carolina, New York, and Missouri.
Ten other genera of the tribe Smiliini occur in North Carolina. The majority of these feed on Oaks (Quercus sp.). Thus Thelia bimaculata is unusual in host preference. Also, they are sexually dimorphic where the female is larger and brown while the male is smaller, darker and has a bright yellow patch located on either side of his body (see images below).
Habitat
Thelia bimaculata is found on Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) trees. Black Locust is a species of tree in the pea family (Fabaceae). It is a native tree to the Southeastern United States but has been widely introduced to other parts of the United States, Europe and Asia. Interestingly, Thelia bimaculata has not moved with Black Locust to Europe or Asia. Also, these trees are host to four other species of treehopper in North Carolina.
Distribution
Commonly found in the United States (primarily east of the Mississippi) and Canada.
Find out more
- Thanks to biologist Rex Cocroft, you can now enjoy a selection of treehopper courtship calls, newly posted on the Sounds page of the NCSU Insect Museum’s Treehoppers website.
- Lots of other great Thelia images are found on BugGuide for this common species.
- The NCSU insect museum has the Thelia sp. drawer images using GigaPan software. Please feel free to browse the collection!
- Dietrich, C.H., M.J. Rothchild, and L.L. Deitz. 1999. Checklist and Host Plants of the Treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae) of North Carolina. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington. 101(2): 242-262.
- Kopp, D.D. and T.R. Yonke. 1974. The Treehoppers of Missouri: Part 4. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 47: 80-130.
- Wallace, M.S. & L.L. Deitz. 2003. Aconophora lineosa Walker 1858, New Junior Synonym of Thelia bimaculata (Fabricius 1794)(Hemiptera: Membracidae) . Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington. 105: 1051-1052.
This post was created by Lewis Deitz and Katja Seltmann.
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