Species Thelia bimaculata - Locust Treehopper

Classification · Numbers · Size · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References

Locust Treehopper Nymph - Thelia bimaculata

Locust Treehopper - Thelia bimaculata - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)

Suborder Auchenorrhyncha (Free-living Hemipterans)

Superfamily Cicadoidea

Family Membracidae (Treehoppers)

Genus Thelia

Species bimaculata (Locust Treehopper)

Numbers

One of two species in the genus.

Size

Female 11 mm, or 14 mm including the horn. Male somewhat smaller.

Habitat

This species lives its entire life cycle on Locust, usually on younger trees. They seem to prefer trees that get some sunshine, avoiding trees in the deep woods. A single tree may host close to 500 individuals.

Season

Spring through Fall.

Food

Nymphs and adults feed by inserting the beak into the twig to take up plant juices.

Life Cycle

Eggs laid near the ground in slits in bark. From hatching to emergence as an adult takes about one month. Larva gradually move up the trunk as they mature.

Remarks

Often protected by ants, who receive "honeydew" from the larvae. Damage to the tree host is practically non-existant.

Internet References

Insects of West Virginia, Thelia bimaculata. Includes photos and drawings of nymphs.

Contributed by Stephen Cresswell on 24 September, 2004 - 5:07pm
Last updated 1 February, 2009 - 6:48am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2009 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by Iowa State University Entomology.

Printer Friendly Version