Dioncomena ngurumontana Hemp, 2023

Hemp, Claudia, Montealegre-Z, Fernando, Woodrow, Charlie & Heller, Klaus-Gerhard, 2023, Bush-crickets with very special ears and songs - review of the East African Phaneropterinae genus Dioncomena Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, with notes on its biogeography and the description of new species, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 70 (2), pp. 221-259 : 221

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/dez.70.100804
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2824CBF6-C72A-4397-B944-262D324AF5D6
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/64E8E74D-BE3F-47D0-82B3-EC17943103DF
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:64E8E74D-BE3F-47D0-82B3-EC17943103DF
treatment provided by	Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift by Pensoft
scientific name	Dioncomena ngurumontana Hemp
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Dioncomena ngurumontana Hemp sp. nov.

Figs 2J View Figure 2 , 12 View Figure 12 , 13E, F View Figure 13 , 14 View Figure 14 , 19 View Figure 19 , 21 View Figure 21 , 22P View Figure 22 , 23 View Figure 23 , 24 View Figure 24 , 25 View Figure 25 , 28E, F View Figure 28 , 30 View Figure 30 , 36 View Figure 36

Type material.

Holotype male. Tanzania, Nguru Mountains, montane forest above Dibago/Maskati, 6°03'05"S, 37°29'09"E, 1950 m, November 2021. Depository: CCH.

Paratypes. 2♂♂, 3♀♀, same locality as holotype. 2♀♀, same locality as holotype but February 2022. Depository: CCH.

Description.

Male. General habitus and color pattern. Dioncomena species with a very colourful pattern of black tegmina with a blue or greenish field at the basal part, a black and white patterned head, and a pronotum with a central turquoise blue or green line, bordered by irregular black lines and interrupted medially by a black line as well (Fig. 12A, B View Figure 12 ). Part of the disc and lateral lobes of the pronotum partly yellow, at the lower margin again green or turquoise with an irregular longish black patch. Legs are black except for the hind femora that are of light brown colour at their inflated basal parts. The abdomen is striped green or blue and black. Head and antennae. Fastigium of vertex typical for the genus, compressed, narrower than scapus, sulcate above. Thorax & legs. Pronotum with posterior part of lateral lobes not markedly inflated. Fore coxa without a spine. Fore, and mid femora unarmed, hind femur only at apical slender part ventrally with few very small spines. Fore tibiae ventrally with double row of very few and irregularly set small spinules and a pair of short ventral spurs. Mid tibiae with ventral double row of very few spinules, spinules at apical part only very slightly hooked; few spinules also apically on dorsal side of mid tibiae. Hind tibiae with dorsal double row of spines getting denser apically and double row of irregular set spines also on dorsal side in apical third of the tibiae. Tegmina & wings. Typical for Dioncomena , narrow, tegmina black with an elongated blue or green field at base (Fig. 12A, B View Figure 12 ). Stridulatory file on the underside of left tegmen about 1.1 mm long with about 45 teeth (n = 1); teeth densely set along length, apically teeth getting smaller and are more widely set (Fig. 2J View Figure 2 ). Abdomen. Tenth abdominal tergite black, incurved at posterior margin (Fig. 13E, F View Figure 13 ). Cerci laterally flattened, especially at apex, green with a black tip (Fig. 13E, F View Figure 13 ). Subgenital plate longer than wide, with v-shaped incision in the middle, beside the incision short slender styli-like processes (Fig. 13F View Figure 13 ).

Female. With a similar habitus as the male, but with a different color pattern consisting mainly of greenish hues on the head, body, and hind femora (Fig. 12C, D View Figure 12 ). The pronotal lobes are bordered in bluish to turquoise, but less prominent than in the male. The pronotal disc and lobes are yellowish to hazel brown, similar to the male. Unlike the male, the tegmina are of greenish to brown color, without the black base and turquoise or green stripe. The ovipositor is green and strongly upcurved (Fig. 12E View Figure 12 ), while the subgenital plate forms a flap with an evenly rounded posterior margin (Fig. 12F View Figure 12 ).

Nymphs.

The nymphs resemble the adults, but with an inconspicuous greenish coloration with some dark spots on the legs and white dots on the abdomen (Fig. 14 View Figure 14 ).

Measurements, (mm) males (n = 3). Body length 12.0-14.7. Length of pronotum 3.2-2.4. Length of tegmina 20.0-21.5. Length of hind femur (one individual with hind femora) 16.

Measurements, (mm) females (n = 3). Body length 9.8-15.5. Length of pronotum 2.9-3.3. Length of tegmina 18.5-20.8. Length of hind femur 15.8-16.6. Ovipositor 4.7-5.0.

Phenology.

Nymphs were observed in November 2021 on sunny patches along a forest path. Most nymphs were in stages L4 and L5, with only a few smaller nymphs seen. L5 nymphs collected from the forest molted to adults in captivity about one week later. Similar to D. tanneri , it is likely that the hatching of D. ngurumontana sp. nov. is triggered by rising temperatures from September onwards. This species probably forms only one generation per year as an adaptation to the montane zone.

Song.

See Bioacoustics.

Habitat and distribution.

D. ngurumontana sp. nov. was found on forest paths and clearings in the montane zone (1850-2000 m). The collected individuals were found clustered together, with adult individuals and nymphs collected sitting nearby on single bushes or herb vegetation. This species is found in the Nguru Mountains of Tanzania.

Etymology.

This species is named after the Nguru Mountains and the montane zone in which it occurs.