Avifauna in Relation to Habitat Disturbance in Wildlife Management Areas of the Ruvuma Miombo Ecosystem, Southern Tanzania

Understanding of relative distribution of avifauna provides insights for the conservation and management of wildlife in the community managed areas. This study examined relative diversity, abundance, and distribution of avifauna in selected habitat types across five Wildlife Management Areas of the Ruvuma landscape in miombo vegetation, southern Tanzania. Five habitat types were surveyed during the study: farmland, swamps, riverine forest, dense and open woodland. Transect lines, mist-netting, and point count methods were used to document 156 species of birds in the study sites. Descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare species richness and diversity across habitat types. We found differences in avifaunal species distribution in the study area whereby farmland had the highest abundance of avifauna species and lowest in the riverine forest. These results suggest that variations of avifauna species abundance, diversity, and distribution could be attributed by human activities across habitat types; due to the reason that habitats with less human encroachment had good species diversity and richness. Therefore, to improve avitourism and avoid local extinction of species, we urge for prompt action to mitigate species loss by creating awareness in the adjacent community through conservation education on the importance of protecting such biodiversity resources

Butterfly diversity and its relevance to conservation in North-Eastern Tanzania

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

On the status of Pseudomylothris Neustetter, a supposed endemic butterfly genus from the Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)

Volume: 44Start Page: 85End Page: 9

Bicyclus anynana subsp. anynana anynana (Butler 1879

Bicyclus anynana anynana (Butler, 1879) Larsen 1996: pl. 29, fig. 419 i,ii. d ’ Abrera 1997: 217 (2 figs). SI: Figure 8a – d. Forewing length: male 18.5 – 21 mm [mean (n = 6) 19.90 mm, SD = 0.310]; female 21 – 25.5 mm [mean (n = 6) 23.27 mm, SD = 1.015]. Records Kielland (1990, p. 79) states that this butterfly is common in woodlands and forests from sea level up to 2000 m in all parts of Tanzania. Recorded by Cordeiro (1990, p. 29) from Lake Manyara National Park, where it was ‘ very common ’. Included here as a member of the lower slopes fauna on the basis of one male labelled ‘ Kilimanjaro ’, without further data or provenance, ex Rothschild Collection (BMNH), and Condamin ’ s (1973, p. 295, fig. 384) distribution map, which has a spot centred on southern Kilimanjaro. The nominate subspecies occurs in eastern Africa south from Kenya to the Transvaal and Natal, and the Comoro Islands. There are two further subspecies recognized, one from Uganda to northern Angola, the second on Socotra (Condamin 1973; Ackery et al. 1995, p. 288).Published as part of Liseki, Steven D. & Vane-Wright, Richard I., 2015, Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Mount Kilimanjaro: Nymphalidae subfamilies Libytheinae, Danainae, Satyrinae and Charaxinae, pp. 865-904 in Journal of Natural History 50 on page 875, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2015.1091106, http://zenodo.org/record/399010

Charaxes (Euxanthe) tiberius subsp. tiberius tiberius (Grose-Smith 1889

Charaxes (Euxanthe) tiberius tiberius (Grose-Smith, 1889) Henning 1989: 405 (4 figs, as Euxanthe t. tiberius). Kielland 1990: 277 (1 fig, ‘ atypical ’, as E. t. tiberius). d ’ Abrera 2004: 527 (2 figs, as E. t. tiberius). SI: Figure 19a – d. Forewing length: male 43 – 53 mm [mean (n = 6) 46.63 mm, SD = 2.806]; female 51 – 60 mm [mean (n = 7) 53.84 mm, SD = 2.150]. van Someren (1975, p. 90) gave male forewing length as 45 – 50 mm, female as 50 – 53 mm. Records Kielland (1990, p. 93) gave the distribution of C. tiberius tiberius in Tanzania as lowland forest, up to 1350 m, in eastern and northeastern parts of the country, from south of Ifakara to the Usambaras, with an isolated sighting for Lake Duluti, Arusha, by Arthur Rydon. Cordeiro (1995), who concluded that this butterfly must be very rare in the Kilimanjaro area, cited Smiles ’ (1985) record for Moshi. This appears to be based on a male in BMNH collected by Cooper, 2500 ft, January – February 1938; there is also a Cooper female from West Kilimanjaro, Engare-Nairobi, at 4500 – 5500 ft, collected during the same period. This has smaller forewing postdiscal white spots than the female from Amani illustrated (SI: Figure 19c). In females from Tanzania the pale hindwing ‘ window ’ varies from white to pale yellow, but is apparently never so buff as in C . tiberius meruensis (van Someren, 1936) from Kenya. There is no tiberius material from the Kilimanjaro area in OUMNH. Included here as a member of the lower slopes fauna. Subsp. tiberius extends north into the coastal areas of Kenya. The only other race of C. (E.) tiberius is found in the vicinity of Mt Kenya (Ackery et al. 1995, p. 468).Published as part of Liseki, Steven D. & Vane-Wright, Richard I., 2015, Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Mount Kilimanjaro: Nymphalidae subfamilies Libytheinae, Danainae, Satyrinae and Charaxinae, pp. 865-904 in Journal of Natural History 50 on page 885, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2015.1091106, http://zenodo.org/record/399010

Neocoenyra duplex Butler 1886

Neocoenyra duplex Butler, 1886 Larsen 1996: pl. 30, fig. 444 i. d ’ Abrera 1997: 245 (2 figs). SI: Figure 10a – d. Forewing length: male 15.0 – 18.0 mm [mean (n = 13) 16.66 mm, SD = 0.559]; female 17.0 – 20.5 mm [mean (n = 8) 18.61 mm, SD = 1.086]. Records According to Kielland (1990, p. 88), this butterfly occurs in arid thorn-bush, at 1400 – 1900 m, in northern Tanzania (with an isolated record from Mbeya). Included here as a member of the lower slopes fauna on the basis of ten male and three female specimens in OUMNH collected by Rogers in 1905 and 1906 at Taveta, c. 2500 ft (see also Butler 1901, p. 23), and, in BMNH, three males from West Kilimanjaro collected by Cooper at 4500 – 5000 ft., two males from Taveta (ex Rogers), and a further example from Taveta (sex uncertain). Not encountered by Liseki (2009) at 2000 m or above. More widely, according to Ackery et al. (1995, p. 315), this monotypic species ranges from Somalia southwards to Uganda and the Rwanda /DRC border.Published as part of Liseki, Steven D. & Vane-Wright, Richard I., 2015, Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Mount Kilimanjaro: Nymphalidae subfamilies Libytheinae, Danainae, Satyrinae and Charaxinae, pp. 865-904 in Journal of Natural History 50 on page 877, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2015.1091106, http://zenodo.org/record/399010

Pontia distorta

[Pontia distorta (Butler, 1886)] Larsen 1996: pl. 9, figs 88 i. d’ Abrera 1997: 101 (3 figs). Records. According to Kielland (1990, p.63), this very small species (fwl 12–20 mm) occurs in “North-eastern Tanzania ”. Otherwise this butterfly is only known from very dry areas in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya (Kulal area, Kerio Valle, Archer’ s Post (Samburu), Athi River, Lake Baringo?). Larsen (1996, p.143) doubts that distorta occurs in Tanzania, the confusion apparently arising due to BMNH specimens labelled “Namanga” (F.C. Selous, 17.ii.1916) which, according to N.D. Riley, most probably came from Lake Baringo, not Tanzania. There is nothing to link this butterfly with the Kilimanjaro massif.Published as part of Liseki, Steven D. & Vane-Wright, Richard I., 2014, Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Mount Kilimanjaro: family Pieridae, subfamily Pierinae, pp. 1543-1583 in Journal of Natural History 48 (25 - 26) on page 1564, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2014.886343, http://zenodo.org/record/519383

Charaxes (Euxanthe) wakefieldi

Charaxes (Euxanthe) wakefieldi (Ward, 1873) Henning 1989: 399,400 (4 figs, as Euxanthe wakefieldi). Larsen 1996: pl. 40, fig. 504 i. d ’ Abrera 2004: 527 (2 figs, as E. wakefieldi). SI: Figure 19e – h. Forewing length: male 36.5 – 44 mm [mean (n = 10) 40.91 mm, SD = 1.923]; female 45 – 54 mm [mean (n = 9) 50.78 mm, SD = 1.972]. van Someren (1975, p. 85 – 86) gave male forewing length as 40 – 43 mm, female 50 – 52 mm. Note: In museum specimens, the blue membrane colour of the males often fades to yellowish or straw colour. Records Lowland forests, up to 600 m, in coastal areas of Tanzania northwards from Ifakara to the Usambaras, and inland as far as Udzungwa, Mbulu Forest and Arusha – where it may sometimes occur at 2000 m or even higher (Kielland 1990, p. 93). Cordeiro (1990, p. 35) recorded it from Lake Manyara National Park. The BMNH has specimens from Taveta, New Moshi, Moshi and Rau, all localities at approximately 750 m. In OUMNH there are four males from Taveta collected by Rogers in 1905. Not observed in the forest by Liseki (2009). On the evidence above included here as a member of the lower slopes fauna – with perhaps the capacity to enter the lowest zone of the forest. More widely C. (E.) wakefieldi occurs from coastal areas of Kenya south to South Africa, including populations on Pemba and Zanzibar (Henning 1989, p. 401; Ackery et al. 1995, p. 467).Published as part of Liseki, Steven D. & Vane-Wright, Richard I., 2015, Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Mount Kilimanjaro: Nymphalidae subfamilies Libytheinae, Danainae, Satyrinae and Charaxinae, pp. 865-904 in Journal of Natural History 50 on page 886, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2015.1091106, http://zenodo.org/record/399010

Colotis euippe subsp. omphale

Colotis euippe omphale (Godart, 1819) Larsen 1996: pl. 7, figs 67 ii. d’ Abrera 1997: 83 (2 figs.). SI: Figures 7i,j, 8a–j. Forewing length: male 17.5–25.0 mm (mean (n = 7) 21.74 mm, SD = 2.665); female 19.0– 23.5 mm (mean (n = 6) 20.43 mm, SD = 1.299). Records. According to Kielland (1990, p.58) this butterfly is common in wooded areas, open grassland and savannah, at sea level to 1900 m, from southern Tanzania throughout coastal areas north to the Kenyan border. Included here as a member of the lower slopes fauna on the basis of the record by Butler (1888, p.92, as Teracolus omphaloides Butler, 1876), with several specimens from the slopes of Kilimanjaro and from Taveta in the BMNH and OUMNH collections. This subspecies also occurs in Kenya, eastern DRC, Malawi, the Comoros, and south to much of South Africa and west to Namibia. The species as a whole occurs widely in most of Africa and Arabia (Ackery et al. 1995, p.189). Females vary in upperside ground colour, mostly white or yellow (some are a more sandy hue), and the extent of orange at the forewing tip. Males vary considerably in the extent of the black markings of the upperside. The ground colour of the underside hindwing varies from white to yellowish or pinkish.Published as part of Liseki, Steven D. & Vane-Wright, Richard I., 2014, Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Mount Kilimanjaro: family Pieridae, subfamily Pierinae, pp. 1543-1583 in Journal of Natural History 48 (25 - 26) on pages 1550-1551, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2014.886343, http://zenodo.org/record/519383

Charaxes (Eriboea) ethalion subsp. littoralis van Someren 1967

Charaxes (Eriboea) ethalion littoralis van Someren, 1967 Henning 1989: 305,306 (6 figs). Kielland 1990: 284 (3 figs). SI: Figure 17a – h. Forewing length: male 29 – 36 mm [mean (n = 20) 32.49 mm, SD = 1.320]; female 34 – 42 mm [mean (n = 13) 37.51 mm, SD = 1.985]. van Someren (1967, p. 294) gave male forewing length as 33 – 34 mm. Note: the females are very different to the black males, and are also polymorphic – three named female forms are recognized in this subspecies: ‘ ethalion ’, ‘ rosae ’ and ‘ swynnertoni ’ (Henning 1989, p. 305 – 306). However, with individual variation in pattern and size, to some extent these intergrade. Records Eastern Tanzania, inland to Mikumi, Kilimanjaro and the Rubeho, Nguru and Nguu mountains, flying from sea level to 2000 m (Kielland 1990, p. 101). Henning (1989, p. 306) notes Dar-es-Salaam, Morogoro, Arusha and Taveta, this last apparently reflecting van Someren (1967, p. 295). Rogers (in Butler 1901, p. 24) noted this species (as Charaxes rosae Butler) as fairly common at Taveta – from where OUMNH has eight males collected by Rogers at c. 2500 ft, April and May 1905, one female (f. ‘ ethalion ’) May 1905, ex Wiggins, together with one male from New Moshi 6 May 1916, collected by Lamborn. The BMNH has males from New Moshi, March 1916 (F.C. Selous), Moshi July 1920 (W.N. van Someren) and ‘ 6 miles NW of Moshi ’ May 1916 (Buchanan). Not encountered by Liseki (2009), C. e. littoralis is included here as a member of the lower slopes fauna. Beyond Tanzania this race occurs in the coastal belt of Kenya. Collectively, the nine subspecies of C. ethalion (Boisduval, 1847) range from Kenya south to South Africa, and west as far as southern DRC and Zambia (Ackery et al. 1995, p. 441).Published as part of Liseki, Steven D. & Vane-Wright, Richard I., 2015, Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Mount Kilimanjaro: Nymphalidae subfamilies Libytheinae, Danainae, Satyrinae and Charaxinae, pp. 865-904 in Journal of Natural History 50 on page 883, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2015.1091106, http://zenodo.org/record/399010