Macrosteles viridigriseus

Description

Length 2.9-3.8mm. Macrosteles is an extremely difficult and diverse genus.  The vertex has several dark spots or bars and the frons has dark markings;  both features are variable.  The forewings are greyish or green-yellow, often with brown longitudinal streaks, patches or stripes, but colour and amount of the darker markings varies.    Dissection of the male to examine the internal genitalia - the aedeagus - or the internal abdominal structure - sternal apodemes - is needed to identify. 

Similar Species

Other Macrosteles species.

Identification difficulty

males

Recording advice

Microscopic examination and dissection required. 

Habitat

On  sedges (Carex) and rushes (Juncus).

UK Status

Common. (ref.: UK Auchenorrhyncha checklist 2021 on British Bugs website)

VC55 Status

Not often recorded. 

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Species group:
Bugs
Kingdom:
Order:
Family:
Records on NatureSpot:
2
First record:
22/08/2025 (Cann, Alan)
Last record:
07/10/2025 (Cann, Alan)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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