Limotettix (Scleroracus) identicus Tishechkin,, 2003

Tishechkin, D. Yu., 2022, New and interesting records of Auchenorrhyncha (Homoptera) in European Russia, Russian Entomological Journal 31 (3), pp. 234-248 : 243

27. Limotettix (Scleroracus) identicus Tishechkin,

2003

DISTRIBUTION. Eastern Europe, European Russia, Western Siberia (Altai) [ Tishechkin, 2019]. Further records outside these regions are quite probable.

RECORDS. Moscow Oblast (Luzhki, Serpukhov District); Rostov Oblast (environs of Oblivskaya). Oscillograms of calling signals of males from European Russia are given in Tishechkin [2003, 2019].

REMARKS. Cryptic species indistinguishable in morphology from L. (S.) decumanus (Kontkanen, 1949) , but differing from it in the male calling signal pattern and host. Common in the steppe zone of European Russia, lives on Artemisia spp. in natural habitats; in agricultural landscapes sometimes is numerous on ruderal vegetation and on alfalfa fields. Rare in the forest zone, inhabits dry meadows and slopes with xerophytic vegetation.

Unlike L. (S.) identicus , L. (S.) decumanus lives on Ericaceae ( Vaccinium myrtillus L., Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull) in dry forests, on glades, etc. Thus, these two species can be easily distinguished if the data on the biotopes where the insects were collected are available. Since Ericaceae are absent in the steppe and desert zones, for species identification sometimes it is enough to know the locality.