Final answer:
When a service is split between two hosts in separate host groups, it can result in the creation of multiple services by service detection mechanisms, although modern tools may recognize them as a single distributed service.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a service is split between two hosts in two separate host groups, the effect on service detection typically would be that multiple services will be created. This is because service detection mechanisms often view hosts independently, registering services per host. Consequently, if a service is distributed across multiple hosts, each part of the service running on a separate host might be detected as a unique instance.
However, modern service detection tools and application performance management systems are designed to recognize and handle distributed services in more sophisticated ways, detecting services across multiple hosts as a single entity depending on their configurations and capabilities. As such, it would not usually delay detection nor prevent the service from being detected entirely.