Tishechkin D.Yu. 2026. Interspecific differences in coloration, morphology, and the male calling signal patterns in Palearctic Philaenini (Homoptera: Auchenorrchyncha: Aphrophoridae) // Russian Entomol. J. Vol.35. No.3: 326–335 [in English].
Department of Entomology, Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorobyevy Gory, Moscow 119234 Russia.
Dmitry Tishechkin macropsis@yandex.ru ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5451-3838
doi: 10.15298/rusentj.35.3.05
ABSTRACT. A comparative study of the external morphology and coloration, the genitalia shape, and the temporal pattern of the male calling signals in 11 species of Palearctic Philaenini from 4 genera revealed that most species are clearly distinguished by the male genitalia shape. The exception is the genus Neophilaenus, where coloration is the most reliable species-specific character; the genitalia shape is quite uniform within subgenera, so that some species are indistinguishable by the shape of the aedeagus and styles. Male calling signals of different species of Philaenini are often similar and for this reason cannot be used for species identification. Sometimes, similarity in the calling signal patterns is observed even among species with overlapping ranges and similar ecological preferences. However, we have never found such species in the same biotope, i.e., in conditions where they are potentially capable of acoustic contact.
KEY WORDS: spittlebugs, taxonomy, species identification, taxonomic characters, variability.