Aster-yellows

Guides

• Macrosteles quadrilineatus

  Aster leafhopper, Six-spotted leafhopper

  Macrosteles quadrilineatus is a small leafhopper species native to the United States and a major agricultural pest. It is the primary vector of aster yellows phytoplasma, transmitting the pathogen to vegetable crops including carrot, celery, lettuce, and potato. Adults migrate northward in spring on southerly winds, often arriving in the Midwest and northern regions earlier and in greater numbers than resident overwintering populations. The species exhibits polyphagous feeding behavior on numerous grasses, cereals, and broadleaf plants.

  agricultural-pestleafhopperphytoplasma-vectormigratorypolyphagousUnited-StatesCanadaaster-yellowsCicadellidaeDeltocephalinae