Dioncomena ornata Brunner

Hemp, Claudia, 2013, Annotated list of Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera) from the East Usambara Mountains Tanzania and new Tettigoniidae species from East Africa, Zootaxa 3737 (4), pp. 301-350 : 336

Dioncomena ornata Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878 ( Fig. 24 )

http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera .speciesfile.org:TaxonName:12537

Distribution: Wide-spread in Tanzania on Zanzibar, in coastal forest and in submontane forest on most Eastern Arc Mountain ranges as well as along the southern part of the Kenyan coast.

Habitat: Coastal, lowland and submontane forest.

Ecology & Biology: D. ornata prefers forest clearings, forest edge and forest path situations which allows basking in the sun on broad leaved herbs for part of the day. The species is day active, males often found on top of small bushes or large herbs performing their song. They are easily disturbed when approached but usually only fly some meters before landing on bushes or herbs. D. ornata individuals are often found resting closely to each other, apart maybe 1–2 meters, several males and females sharing a bush or a herbaceous strip along forest edge.

Figures

FIGURE 24. Male Dioncomena ornata, Gendagenda Forest Reserve, Tanzanian Coast.