Oak Treehopper

Platycotis vittata

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha
Infraorder: Cicadomorpha
Superfamily: Membracoidea
Family: Membracidae
Subfamily: Membracinae
Tribe: Hoplophorionini
Genus: Platycotis
Species: vittata

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Platycotis vittata: //ˌplæ.tɪˈkoʊ.tɪs vɪˈtɑː.tə//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Platycotis vittata P1330330b by
xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Oak Treehopper - Flickr - treegrow (4) by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Oak Treehopper - Platycotis vittata, Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area, Aden, Virginia (39361341321) by Judy Gallagher. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Oak Treehopper - Flickr - treegrow (5) by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Oak Treehopper - Flickr - treegrow (2) by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Oak Treehopper - Flickr - treegrow by Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Summary

Platycotis vittata, the oak treehopper, is a species of treehopper in the family Membracidae, found primarily in North America, where it exhibits parental care by protecting its nymphs. It has distinct physical characteristics including a variable pronotal horn and is commonly associated with oak trees.

Physical Characteristics

♀ 9-13 mm, ♂ 9-12 mm; grayish spotted with yellow, or turquoise with red stripes and red eyes; may possess a long compressed pronotal horn that varies in length, or may be hornless; wing venation shows considerable variation.

Identification Tips

Easily distinguished by very short posterior tarsi. Variants can be horned or hornless.

Habitat

Forests and forest edges, parks, and areas where oak trees (Quercus spp.) are found; occasionally found on other trees.

Distribution

Mostly found in the eastern United States, British Columbia down to southern California, with limited records in Arizona and New Mexico; also found in Mexico.

Diet

Nymphs do almost no damage to host trees, primarily leaving twig scars from oviposition.

Life Cycle

Hatching occurs in Spring in the South and late Spring in the North; larvae pass through five instars; adults and larvae form aggregations along oak twigs that can number up to 100 individuals.

Reproduction

Females exhibit protective behavior, keeping predators away from their young.

Ecosystem Role

Oak specialist; contributes to the ecosystem by utilizing oak trees as a host.

Similar Taxa

Umbonia
Lephopelta