Buffalo treehopper

The buffalo treehopper (Stictocephala bisonia) is a species of

Buffalo treehopper
treehopper belonging to the subfamily Membracinae.[1] It is
sometimes classified as Ceresa bisonia.[2]

Contents
Distribution
Appearance
Life cycle
Stictocephala bisonia, side view
Feeding
Bibliography
References
External links

Distribution
This species is native to North America, but now it is
Upperside
widespread throughout southern Europe and it is also present in
the Near East and in North Africa.[3] Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Appearance Phylum: Arthropoda
Buffalo treehoppers are a bright green color and have a Class: Insecta
somewhat triangular shape that helps camouflage them so as to
Order: Hemiptera
resemble thorns or a twiggy protuberance.[4][5][6] It gets its name
from the vague resemblance of its profile to that of an American Family: Membracidae
bison.[5] They grow to 6 to 8 millimeters (0.24 to 0.31 in) long Genus: Stictocephala
and have transparent wings.[5][6]
Species: S. bisonia

Life cycle Binomial name

Stictocephala bisonia
S. bisonia mates during the summer months.[6] Males attract Kopp & Yonke, 1977
females with a song that, unlike similar songs used by cicada and
crickets, is perceived by the female not as sound waves but as
vibrations through the host plant.[7] Females lay eggs from July to October using a blade-like
ovipositor.[5][6] Up to a dozen eggs are laid in each slit made by the female.[5][6]
 Nymphs emerge from the eggs the following May or June.[5][6]
The nymphs, which resemble wingless adults, but have a more
spiny appearance, descend from the trees where they hatched to
feed on grasses, weeds, and other nonwoody plants.[5][6]

They molt several times in the following month and a half until
they have reached adulthood.[6] Then they return to the trees to
continue their life cycle.[6]

Stictocephala bisonia Feeding

Both adult and immature buffalo treehoppers feed upon sap
using specialized mouthparts suited for this purpose.[6] Black locust, clover, elm, goldenrod, and willow are
among their favorite food sources.[6] It is also an occasional pest of fruit trees and is harmful to young
orchard trees, especially apple trees.[6] It has become an invasive species in some parts of Europe.[2]

Bibliography
Alberto Alma et al., Particularities of Polynema striaticorne as egg parasite of Stictocephala
bisonia (Rhynchota: Auchenorrhyncha), 6th Auchenorrhyncha Meeting Turin, 1988,
pp. 597–603.
Arzone, C. Vidano, A. Alma Auchenorrhyncha introduced into Europe from the Nearctic
region: taxonomic and phytopathological problems. Proceedings of 2nd International
Workshop on Leafhoppers and Planthoppers of Economic Importance : Brigham Young
University, Provo, Utah, USA, 28 July-1 August 1986: 3-17
D. D. Kopp, Yonke, T. R., Taxonomic Status of the Buffalo Treehopper and the Name Ceresa
bubalus, in Annals of the Entomological Society of America, vol. 70, no. 6, 1977, pp. 901–
905
Gabriel Simões de Andrade (1997): Stictocephala alta (Walker, 1851) sp. rev., comb. n., the
Correct Name for the "Buffalo Treehopper", with S. bisonia Kopp & Yonke, 1977 as a New
Synonym, and Notes on Hadrophallus bubalus (Fabricius, 1794) comb. n. (Homoptera:
Membracidae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society Vol. 123, No. 4: 289-
295.
Gabriel Simões de Andrade (2008): On the synonymy of Stictocephala alta (Walker) and
Thelia constans Walker (Hemiptera: Membracidae). Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 25 (1):
148–149
P. Bovey & H. Leuzinger (1938): Présence en Suisse de Ceresa bubalus F., Membracidae
nuisible d’origine américaine. Bulletin de la Société Vaudoise des sciences naturelles 60:
193–200
W. V. Balduf: Observations on the buffalo tree-hopper Ceresa bubalus Fabr. (Membracidae,
Homoptera) and the bionomics of an egg parasite, Polynema striaticorne Girault
(Mymaridae, Hymenoptera). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 1928,
21(3):419-435.

References
1. Biolib (https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id871380/)
2. "buffalo treehopper" (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/83648/buffalo-treehopper#t
ab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=buffalo%20treehopper%20--%20Britannica%2
 0Online%20Encyclopedia), Encyclopædia Britannica (Online ed.), Encyclopædia
Britannica, Inc., 2008, retrieved 2008-07-14
3. Fauna europaea (http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=239575)
4. John A. Jackman,Bastiaan M. Drees - A Field Guide to Common Texas Insects - Taylor
Trade Publishing
5. "Buffalo Treehopper" (http://tfpg.cas.psu.edu/279.htm). Pennsylvania Tree Fruit Production
Guide. Pennsylvania State University, College of Agricultural Sciences. 2008-06-05.
Retrieved 2008-07-16.
6. Moran, Mark (2004-04-05). "Buffalo Treehopper: Stictocephala bisonia" (https://web.archive.
org/web/20081220050536/http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/buffalo_treehopper.ht
m). Study of Northern Virginia Ecology. Fairfax County Public Schools. Archived from the
original (http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/buffalo_treehopper.htm) on 2008-12-20.
Retrieved 2019-05-20.
7. Deitz, Lewis (2011-01-18). "Sounds of Courtship, Discovery, and Defense" (http://treehopper
s.insectmuseum.org/public/site/treehoppers/home/sounds). Treehoppers. North Carolina
State University Insect Museum. Retrieved 2019-05-20.

External links
"Stictocephala bisonia, Buffalo treehopper" (https://500px.com/photo/124407801/stictocepha
la-biso%C3%B1a-buffalo-treehopper-by-felipe-vilarroya). 500px.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
Vertdeterre (in French) (http://vertdeterre.com/nature/animal/insecte-membracide+bison.htm)
Catalogue of life (http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2011/search/all/key/stictoc
ephala+bisonia/match/1)
Data related to Ceresini at Wikispecies
Media related to Stictocephala bisonia at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Buffalo_treehopper&oldid=1046710340"

This page was last edited on 27 September 2021, at 02:30 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;

additional terms may apply. By using
this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.