Gargara stepposa Tishechkin, 2005

Tishechkin, D. Yu., 2022, New and interesting records of Auchenorrhyncha (Homoptera) in European Russia, Russian Entomological Journal 31 (3), pp. 234-248 : 235-237

6. Gargara stepposa Tishechkin, 2005

RECORDS. Reliable records of this species based on male calling signal recordings include Rostov Oblast (env. Oblivskaya), Saratov Oblast (env. Dyakovka), Ciscaucasia (Chechnya, env. Grozny), and Orenburg Oblast (env. Guberlya). Records of G. stepposa from the semideserts of the southeast of European Russia and from Central Asia in Tishechkin [2005] refer to G. genistae (Fabricius, 1775) [ Tishechkin, 2022].

REMARKS. G. stepposa is a cryptic species indistinguishable from a widespread G. genistae in external appearance and genitalia shape. Still, these two species distinctly differ from each other in the calling signal patterns and, partially, in host preferences.

G. genistae lives on different species of leguminous shrubs ( Fabaceae ). It was collected from Genista tinctoria L. and Chamaecytisus ruthenicus (Fisch.ex Woloszcz.) Klásk. in the forest and steppe zones of European Russia and on Halimodendron halodendron (Pall.) Voss in the semideserts of the Trans-Volga part of Astrakhan Oblast; also, it dwells on cultivated Caragana arborescens Lam. throughout all European Russia. G. stepposa also can live on Fabaceae ( Ch. ruthenicus , Caragana frutex (L.) K. Koch), however, unlike G. genistae , it often shifts to Rosaceae and was found on wild Malus sp. in the environs of Grozny City and on Prunus spinosa L. in the steppes of European Russia. Remarkably, in

Figs 1–20. 1–5 — Nisamia fumigata ; 6–10 — Poophilus costalis ; 11–12 — Anaceratagallia camphorosmatis ; 13–14 — A. fragariae ; 15–16 — A. ribauti ; 17–20 — Macropsis illota : 1 — male, habitus, lateral view; 2 — same, female; 3 — male genitalia, lateral view; 4 — anal tube, dorsal view; 5, 8, 18 — style; 6 — habitus, dorsal view; 7 — pygofer, anal tube, and subgenital plates, lateral view; 9, 11, 13–17 — aedeagus, lateral view; 10 — same, back view; 12 — male anal collar appendage; 19–20 — male abdominal apodemes of the 2 nd tergite. On Figs 14 and 16 the width of aedeagus stem at the base is shown by arrows.

Rostov Oblast, where G. genistae was not found, G. stepposa lived on P. spinosa and Ch. ruthenicus , but in Saratov Oblast, where both species occurred, G. stepposa lived only on P. spinosa , whereas G. genistae lived on Ch. ruthenicus . As a result, these two species, if sympatric, apparently, are segregated due to host differences.

Thus, identification of Gargara species from the steppes of European Russia and South Urals is difficult. If insects were collected from Rosaceae , it is safe to say that they belong to G. stepposa . Identification of specimens from leguminous shrubs presently is impossible without calling signal analysis.