A Prairie Leafhopper
Polyamia dilata DeLong

Status: State Endangered (August 1, 1997).

Occurence: Occurs in Crawford, Dane, Iowa, Jackson, LaFayette, Monroe, Pierce, and Sauk Counties of Wisconsin.

Aid to ID: A light gray to tan leafhopper with wings shorter than the abdomen. Wings are veined with white and heavily margined with brown. The lower face is dark with pale arcs. Ocelli (simple eyes) are present with a black spot just interior to them. Length 2.5-2.75 mm. Found by vigorous sweepnetting of the grasses in appropriate habitat. This species resembles others of the genus, but usually lacks the dark head pattern of many other Polyamia. Specimens of suspected P. dilata must be sent to a specialist for identification.

Habitat: Inhabitants of upland dry to dry mesic bluff prairies, sand prairies, or sandy barrens supporting prairie grasses. The host plant is unknown but may be little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) or one of the panic grasses of the subgenus Dicanthelium.

Management Considerations: Preliminary observations indicate that P. dilata is fire sensitive. This species has been found in Wisconsin primarily on prairie sites that have never been burned or have been burned no more recently than 5-6 years ago.

The content for this page was originally presented in the Endangered and Threatened Invertebrates of Wisconsin, a free publication available by contacting the Endangered Resources Program.