Explanation of Names
Smilia Germar 1833
Greek: σμιλη (chisel) + -ilia (related to)
Numbers
2 spp. in our area, 3 in total
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Smilia camelus (Fabricius, 1803)
Smilia fasciata Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843
extralimital species:
Smilia centralis (Germar, 1821)
Identification
[last updated by SVH 2024-V-25]
Comparison of Smilia species (lateral+dorsal habitus where available) from authoritatively identified specimens. There are only two species in our area, both of which are variable and, in some areas, sympatric.
some words
Pronotum — The anterior plate-like structure on the thorax of insects; it is greatly enlarged in treehoppers and extends over the entire abdomen in Smiliini, obscuring the rest of the dorsal thoracic plates.
Crest/Keel — Refers to the arched pronotum of many treehoppers when they are somewhat foliate (narrowed and extended towards their edge). A lack of a crest/keel is used as a genus-level character of the related Ophiderma. The shape of this crest is unreliably used to differentiate Atymna, Cyrtolobus, Grandolobus, Smilia, and Xantholobus.
Window — Smilia species are fenestrate in that they have small clear regions along the top part of the pronotum, a trait shared with some other Smiliini genera. These clear regions can be referred to as “windows.”
Inflated Pronotum — The sides of the crest (if present) or pronotum of some Smiliini are bulbous, looking “inflated.” This is usually used as a genus-level character of Xantholobus.
Differs from Smilia fasciata subtly—the crest distinctively has a very steep incline anteriorly. It is slightly larger than S. fasciata as well. Make note of the shape and placement of the “windows” in the crest; they differ from those of S. fasciata.
Crest is more sinuate in form than in S. camelus with a less steep incline in both sexes. It is slightly smaller than S. camelus. The females of this species may occasionally be mistaken for some males of S. camelus—make sure to have a directly lateral view of the specimen so that the shape of the crest is clear. This species is more geographically restricted than S. camelus and is much less common farther north and inland, generally reaching only as far north as New Jersey.
Range
S. camelus widespread in e. NA and reaches se. Canada, TX, CA;
S. fasciata NJ-FL & NE
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