D. zernyi Ragge, 1980

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
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scientific name	D. zernyi Ragge, 1980
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D. zernyi Ragge, 1980 View in CoL

Figs 2G View Figure 2 , 16 View Figure 16 , 19 View Figure 19 , 21 View Figure 21 , 22M View Figure 22 , 26E, F View Figure 26 , 30 View Figure 30 , 36 View Figure 36

Note.

Ragge (1980) only described the male of D. zernyi from a single specimen collected at Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa, Randberge) and did not describe the female, as the only individual that could have been conspecific with the new species was collected at another locality (near Songea) and differed considerably in size and general color pattern (stored in NHMW). We collected a large series of both males and females of D. zernyi in the Udzungwa Mountains, where it is a common species, and describe the female here. Further information on this species is also given in Hemp (2021).

Both male and female D. zernyi are colorful, with a pattern of black tegmina, a green body, and legs with some white, yellowish, and blue parts (Fig. 16A-D View Figure 16 ). Males especially have bluish parts on the pleura, face, and cerci (Fig. 16A View Figure 16 ). A dark stripe is present dorsally on the pronotum, ending at the margin to the metazona of the pronotum, and not reaching the posterior margin of the pronotum (Fig. 16D View Figure 16 ). The hind tibiae are uniformly light brown in both sexes.

The male of D. zernyi is characterized mainly by its ninth abdominal tergite, which is produced posteriorly, covering most of the tenth abdominal tergite (Fig. 17A View Figure 17 ). Additionally, the last few tergites are profusely hairy above. The 10th abdominal tergite is raised at its posterior margin and has a deep, circular gap in the middle. The male cerci are rather thick and densely covered with hairs. The stridulatory file is slightly undulating with large and widely set teeth on its inner side, about 10 very densely set teeth in the middle, and smaller and again more widely set teeth at its apical part (Fig. 2G View Figure 2 ). The file has about 42-45 teeth.

Material examined.

All Tanzania: 13♂♂, 10♀♀, Udzungwa Mountains , Mangula Gate , 7°50'38"S, 36°53'08"E, 340 m, lowland wet forest, 300 m, March 2015, July 2015, September 2015, December 2015, January 2016, February 2016, March 2016, May 2016. 5♂♂, 6♀♀, Udzungwa Mountains , Sanje Trail, 7°46'08"S, 36°54'16"E, 450 m, lowland wet to submontane forest, August 2019, November 2019, April 2020, July 2020, October 2020. 2♀♀, Udzungwa Mountains , Kihansi Forest Reserve, 8°36'35"S, 35°51'08"E, 370 m, January 2016. 2♂♂, 2♀♀, Magombera Forest Reserve, 7°49'10"S, 36°58'42"E, 280 m, lowland forest, 300 m, January 2019. Depository: CCH GoogleMaps .

Description of the female.

In habitus, size and color pattern similar to the male (Fig. 16B View Figure 16 ). The ovipositor is typical for the genus, rather small and upcurved, serrated at the valves (Fig. 17B View Figure 17 ). The subgenital plate is triangular with a v-shaped indentation at its posterior margin (Fig. 17C View Figure 17 ).

Measurements, (mm) males (n = 6). Body length 14.4-15.5. Length of pronotum 3.1-3.2. Length of tegmina 22-24. Length of hind femur 18.5-19.1.

Measurements, (mm) females (n = 6). Body length 17.2-18. Length of pronotum 2.7-3.2. Length of tegmina 22.5-25. Length of hind femur 19.7-21.0. Ovipositor 4.1-4.4.

Biology.

D. zernyi individuals were frequently observed in groups on forest paths and clearings. Males, similar to D. ornata , often perched openly on branch tips while females were spotted in lower vegetation nearby.

Habitat and distribution.

D. zernyi inhabits lowland wet to submontane forests and is found in the Udzungwa Mountains of southern Tanzania, which is also the type locality according to Ragge (1980).

Song.

See Bioacoustics.

Diagnosis.

Male D. zernyi can be easily distinguished by the produced 9th abdominal tergite and the dense cover of hairs on the last few tergites. Females exhibit a coloration pattern similar to males and have a V-shaped subgenital plate that is indented at its posterior margin (Fig. 17C View Figure 17 ). Syntopic species belonging to the D. jagoi -group, such as D. magombera sp. nov. and D. sanje sp. nov., have entirely different coloration patterns.