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Issue: Vol. 5727 No. 1: 8 Dec. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-12-08
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5727.1.14
Page range: 208-215
Abstract views: 41
PDF downloaded: 4

Similar male calling signals in morphologically different sympatric species of Aphalara Foerster, 1848 (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Aphalaridae)

Department of Entomology; Faculty of Biology; M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University; Vorobyevy Gory; Moscow; 119234 Russia.
Hemiptera Psyllids vibrational signals mate search taxonomic traits

Abstract

In many insect taxa, comparative analysis of acoustic signals is a useful tool for recognition of biological species. However, in species that do not perceive each other’s signals due to allopatry, different biotopic preferences, or host specializations, signal patterns can be similar. I revealed two pairs of morphologically distinctive Aphalara species producing almost identical vibrational signals. Aphalara avicularis and A. freji were not strictly sympatric, but acoustic interactions between them due to physical contact between their host plants or accidental landing of insects on alien hosts is quite possible. A. borealis and A. maculipennis were strictly sympatric and are certainly able to perceive each other’s signals. Apparently, during the mate search, the studied species, in addition to vibrational communication, use chemical or/and visual cues. Thus, in the taxonomy of psyllids, the acoustic signal pattern is by no means always a reliable species trait. Distinct differences in the genitalia shape certainly indicate that the studied taxa are different species. At the same time, the similarity of signals in such species, even if they are strictly sympatric, cannot be evidence of their taxonomic synonymy.

 

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How to Cite

Tishechkin, D.Y. (2025) Similar male calling signals in morphologically different sympatric species of Aphalara Foerster, 1848 (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Aphalaridae). Zootaxa, 5727 (1), 208–215. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5727.1.14