Dioncomena tanneri Ragge, 1980
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/dez.70.100804 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2824CBF6-C72A-4397-B944-262D324AF5D6 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D6956AF9-3FB5-5339-BCED-E31E4F54AEC6 |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Dioncomena tanneri Ragge, 1980 |
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Dioncomena tanneri Ragge, 1980 View in CoL
Figs 2H View Figure 2 , 13D View Figure 13 , 15C, D View Figure 15 , 19 View Figure 19 , 21 View Figure 21 , 22N View Figure 22 , 26G, H View Figure 26 , 28D View Figure 28 , 30 View Figure 30 , 36 View Figure 36
Notes on biogeography and phenology.
Dioncomena tanneri is exclusively found in the Usambara Mountains. Despite extensive screening of various forests in the West Usambara Mountains (such as Magamba, Shagayu, Ambangulu, and Lutindi forest remains), D. tanneri individuals were only found in Mazumbai Forest Reserve, where they were observed in forest clearings and in tall herb vegetation and low bushes along a sunny road through the forest. The reserve was screened for almost all months of the year, but D. tanneri individuals were only captured during the warm period between December and April. A single female that was either conspecific or closely related to D. tanneri was discovered in the montane elevations of the Nilo Forest Reserve in the East Usambara Mountains. Further investigation is required to determine whether D. tanneri is present at montane elevations in the East Usambara Mountains, or if a closely related species has evolved in these forests.
Biology.
Females caught in March 2021 along a road passing through Mazumbai Forest Reserve laid numerous eggs onto thin branches in early April 2021. The first nymphs hatched in mid-September 2021 and became adult at the beginning of December 2021. Development took roughly two and a half months from L1 to the adult. When placed together in captivity, D. tanneri fed on each other once individuals became weak or died. This indicates that Dioncomena species are partly carnivorous, despite the fact that nymphs were solely reared on herb vegetation such as Taraxacum officinale . In the field, individuals were frequently found clustered, with several males and females located in close proximity to one another. However, no individuals were observed in other suitable locations along paths or on clearings.
Habitat and distribution.
Dioncomena tanneri is typically found along open forest paths and clearings in the montane zone. It is restricted to the Usambara Mountains.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.