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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Hoppers (Auchenorrhyncha) » Cicadas, Spittlebugs, Leafhoppers, and Treehoppers (Cicadomorpha) » Leafhoppers and Treehoppers (Membracoidea) » Typical Leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) » Deltocephalinae » Macrostelini » Macrosteles » quadrilineatus complex (Macrosteles quadrilineatus complex) » Aster Leafhopper (Macrosteles quadrilineatus)

Species Macrosteles quadrilineatus - Aster Leafhopper

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Aster Leafhopper - Macrosteles quadrilineatus

Aster Leafhopper - Macrosteles quadrilineatus - female

Leafhopper - Macrosteles quadrilineatus - male

Clear-winged leafhopper - Macrosteles quadrilineatus

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 Cicadellidae (Typical Leafhoppers)

Subfamily Deltocephalinae

Tribe Macrostelini

Genus Macrosteles

No Taxon (quadrilineatus complex)

Species quadrilineatus (Aster Leafhopper)

Other Common Names

often called the Six-spotted Leafhopper due to head markings, but this name is reserved for a similar European species

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Macrosteles fascifrons is a name formerly (and incorrectly) applied to this species but now restricted to a Juncus-feeding species. ‒K.G.A. Hamilton

Explanation of Names

Macrosteles quadrilineatus (Forbes 1885)

Size

3‒4.3 mm

Identification

Narrow-winged, with 6 spots on the head, and a black mustache.

one of many Macrosteles species with a characteristic head pattern of 4 lines (hence "quadrilineatus") and 2 spots (together sometimes giving it the common name "six-spotted leafhopper", although technically this name is reserved for an European species). Sometimes the 6 spots are reduced to 4 or just 2. ‒K.G.A. Hamilton

There are many other species with the same head markings, but only 1 larger northern species has wings as long and slender as this. ‒K.G.A. Hamilton

Range

much of the northern hemisphere(1)

Food

hosts: asters and corn

Remarks

Major polyphagous agricultural pest and plant disease vector, reported to cause serious losses of some crops. It is a vector of the so called aster yellows, a bacterial plant disease.

Internet References

Species page(1)

Works Cited

1.	Dmitriev D.A. (2003-) 3I interactive keys and taxonomic databases

Contributed by tom murray on 17 June, 2005 - 5:03pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, ceiseman, Robert Lord Zimlich, v belov
Last updated 5 September, 2023 - 8:48pm

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