A morphological and molecular reassessment of Zvenella acutangulata and Z. yunnana (Orthoptera): evidence for allopatric distribution (Orthoptera: Oecanthidae: Podoscirtinae)

The genus Zvenella Gorochov, 1988 is represented in China by three described species: Z. acutangulata Xia, Liu & Yin, 1991, Z. yunnana Gorochov, 1985, and Z. geniculata Chopard, 1931. Of these, Z. acutangulata and Z. yunnana are morphologically similar and their distinction is challenging. To address this, we performed a comprehensive analysis combining molecular and morphological data. Our findings demonstrate that while the two species can be reliably differentiated by male genital morphology and ovipositor length, they cannot be distinguished by femur length or ocelli size. Notably, our data reveal a geographic barrier separating their ranges, indicating an allopatric distribution pattern, which is contrary to previous studies.