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  • 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

This content will become publicly available on July 10, 2024

Title: 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

This study focuses on the genusDioncomenaand its acoustics, particularly the unique songs produced by maleDioncomenathat consist of several distinct elements in a fixed sequence, culminating in a coda that typically elicits a response from a receptive female. We also examine the inflated pronotal lobes, which we term prebullae, that are prominently developed in someDioncomenaspecies but not in others. We discuss the role of prebullae in the context of acoustic communication inDioncomenaand other related Phaneropterini genera that have similar lateral pronotal lobes. We found that prebullae size is correlated with habitat distribution, with larger prebullae occurring in isolated species while aggregation-prone species have smaller or less pronounced prebullae. Using micro-computer tomography we show sexual dimorphism in the 3D geometry of the acoustic tracheae, being larger in the male. Interestingly, the tracheae are coupled by a septum, like in field crickets, which suggests potential cross talk.

We define three groups ofDioncomenabased on altitude preferences, ecology, color patterns, and songs: thejagoi-,tanneri-, andornata-groups. We describe the songs of several species, including newly identified species such asD. flavoviridissp. nov.,D. magomberasp. nov.,D. ngurumontanasp. nov.,D. sanjesp. nov.,D. tanneri,D. versicolorsp. nov., andD. zernyi. We also provide information on the nymphs, development time, and mating behavior of various species reared in the laboratory, shedding light on their phenology and adaptations to their habitats.

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Award ID(s):
1937815
NSF-PAR ID:
10475322
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Pensoft
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift
Volume:
70
Issue:
2
ISSN:
1435-1951
Page Range / eLocation ID:
221 to 259
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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