Macrosteles Fieber, 1866: 504. Type species: Cicada sexnotata Fallén, 1806: 34.
Cicadula Zetterstedt (in part), 1840: 296.
Acrostignus ThOmsOn, 1869: 76. Type species: Cicada sexnotata Fallén, 1806: 34.
Macrosteles (Macrosteles) Oman, 1949: 107.
Description. Slender, pale yellow to brown or rarely black leafhoppers. Head usually with symmetrical black spots, most commonly and characterically consisting of one apical and one subapical pair of transverse bars followed by posterior pair of spots on disc of crown. Head almost as broad as pronotum, anterior margin rounded to face, shagreen; vertex obtusely angular or almost evenly arched forward but not strongly produced, longer medially than next to eyes; pronotum short, anterior margin slightly convex, posterior margin slightly concave; forewing at rest exceeding abdomen, with distinct appendix and two anteapical cells and 4 apical cells; hindwing with 4 apical cells; hind tibiae armed with long macrosetae and the hind femoral setae formula is 2+2+1.
Male abdomen. 2nd acrotergite with trunk V-shaped or horizontal; 2nd tergal, 1 st and 2n d sternal apodemes developed or reduced.
Male genitalia. Pygofer lobe rounded posteriorly, with plumose macrosetae; fringe of spinulose stout macrosetae on posterior margin; usually with caudo-ventral tubercle. Subgenital plates with uniseriate pubescent macrosetae on outer margin, with apical finger-like appendage, long or short, membranous. Valve broad, triangular. Connective Y-shaped, stem shorter than arms. Aedeagal shaft with pair of apical appendages, divergent or crossed; shaft smooth or with teeth, gonopore subapical on ventral surface.
Distribution. Worldwide except in Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica.