Aphrodes bicincta (Schrank, 1776)

Tishechkin, D. Yu., 2022, New and interesting records of Auchenorrhyncha (Homoptera) in European Russia, Russian Entomological Journal 31 (3), pp. 234-248 : 239

The Aphrodes bicincta (Schrank, 1776) species group

Leafhoppers of the A. bicincta species group are widespread throughout the Palearctic. In European Russia, these are common insects on grass vegetation. Investigation of the male calling signals of species of this group in central regions of European Russia proved conclusively that three forms, A. bicincta , A. makarovi Zachvatkin, 1953 , and A. diminuta Ribaut, 1952 = A. centrorossica Zachvatkin, 1953 are good species that differ in the signal temporal patterns [ Tishechkin, 1998].

Comprehensive morphological, acoustic, and molecular investigation of this species complex in Western Europe was performed by Bluemel et al. [2014]. Based on numerous specimens from many localities they confirmed that A. bicincta , A. makarovi , A. diminuta , and the West European A. aestuarina (Edwards, 1908) are good species and provided a key for their identification based on morphological traits.

Recently we published data on calling signals, taxonomy, and distribution of the members of this group in Eastern Palearctic [ Tishechkin, 2017].

However, these data were ignored by the authors of faunistic lists. Despite the fact that in the forest zone of European Russia all three species often can be found in the same locality, in most lists only A. bicincta is recorded. A. diminuta is a most widespread member of this group; it was found in many localities from Western Europe to Sakhalin [ Tishechkin, 1998, 2017; Bluemel et al., 2014]. Still, in faunistic lists, we did not find records of this species even from wet habitats, where it replaces A. bicincta [e. g., Galinichev, Anufriev, 2012]. For this reason, below we provide brief information on the distribution, biotopic preferences, and diagnostic traits of these species.