The Pocono till barrens ecosystem sustains a large number and high diversity of treehoppers (Membracidae). A total of 6,861 adult oak-feeding treehoppers were collected from sticky cards attached to scrub oak in the Pocono till barrens, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania in 2007 and 2008. Thirty species were collected, dominated by males of Ophiderma definita and Smilia camelus. Glossonotus nimbatulus, apparently restricted to scrub oak, is a noteworthy species in this ecosystem. Cyrtolobus inermis is a NEW STATE RECORD for Pennsylvania. Most treehoppers were trapped in mid-late June, similar to recent studies performed in the nearby Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, although the first treehoppers appeared slightly later in 2008 than in 2007. Scrub oak, due to its physical dimensions and ability to support numerous treehopper species, should be considered as a model host tree to study treehopper biology.
Translator Disclaimer
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
Auchenorrhyncha
Homoptera
sampling
scrub oak
sticky cards
treehoppers