The mosaic distribution pattern of two sister bush-cricket species and the possible role of reproductive interference.

Reproductive interference can shape regional distribution patterns in closely related species, if prezygotic isolation barriers are weak. The study of such interaction could be more challenging in nuptial gift-giving species due to the direct nutritional effects on both sexes of both species during copulation. We mapped the distribution of two sister bush-cricket species, and , at the northern margin of their overlapping ranges in Europe, and with a behavioral experiment, we tested the possibility of heterospecific mating.

Size-dependent mating pattern in a nuptial gift-giving insect.

The reproductive interests of females and males often diverge in terms of the number of mating partners, an individual's phenotype, origin, genes, and parental investment. This conflict may lead to a variety of sex-specific adaptations and also affect mate choice in both sexes. We conducted an experiment with the bush-cricket (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae), a species in which females receive direct nutritional benefits during mating.

Isolated populations of the bush-cricket (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) in Russia suggest a disjunct area of the species distribution.

Phylogenetic analysis and assessment of the species status of mostly isolated populations of in south-western Russia occurring far beyond the accepted area of the species distribution in the Carpathian-Balkan region were performed. Using the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene fragment, we found a very low level of genetic diversity in these populations. Phylogeographic reconstruction did not support recent introduction events but rather historical range fragmentation.