Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Carynota stupida - Stupid Treehopper

Treehopper - Carynota stupida Treehopper - Carynota stupida Carynota stupida Carynota stupida Carynota stupida Carynota stupida Treehopper - Carynota stupida
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Auchenorrhyncha (True Hoppers)
Infraorder Cicadomorpha (Cicadas, Spittlebugs, Leafhoppers, and Treehoppers)
Superfamily Membracoidea (Leafhoppers and Treehoppers)
Family Membracidae (Typical Treehoppers)
Subfamily Smiliinae
Tribe Telamonini
Genus Carynota
Species stupida (Stupid Treehopper)
Explanation of Names
Carynota stupida (Walker 1851)
STUPIDA: a fanciful name, perhaps referring to the adult's low rounded crest (?) - the low rounded cranium of early humanoids housed a small brain, suggesting that these creatures were relatively "stupid" compared to Homo sapiens, which has a high domed cranium and larger brain
compare to the high rounded crest of the Marbled Treehopper (C. marmorata)
Identification
dark grayish with whitish spots and low rounded crest
Range
ne NA (NS-NY-MI-SK) (1)
Food
Acer (maple)
Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch)
Betula lenta (sweet birch)
Betula populifolia (gray birch)
Populus grandidentata (bigtooth aspen)
Remarks
page creation based on Andy Hamilton's identification of this image
See Also
Marbled Treehopper (C. marmorata) has a high rounded crest
Internet References
host plant [Yellow Birch] (USDA Forest Service)
presence in Quebec; list (Montreal Insectarium, Quebec)
Works Cited
1.Richness of the Nearctic treehopper fauna (Hemiptera: Aetalionidae and Membracidae)
Deitz L.L., Wallace M.S. 2012. Zootaxa 3423: 1–26.