Hagiomantis mesopoda (Westwood, 1889)

Svenson, Gavin J., 2014, Revision of the Neotropical bark mantis genus Liturgusa Saussure, 1869 (Insecta, Mantodea, Liturgusini), ZooKeys 390, pp. 1-214 : 139-144

Hagiomantis mesopoda (Westwood, 1889)

Liturgousa mesopoda : Westwood 1889: 5, 30, 51, pl. 13, fig. 10; Kirby 1904: 271; Chopard 1911: 323; Hebard 1919b: 134.

Liturgusa mesopoda : Apolinar M. 1924: 47; Giglio-Tos 1927: 294; Beier 1935: 11, pl. 3, fig. 7; Apolinar M. 1937: 226; Terra 1995: 54; Jantsch 1999: 48; Salazar E. 1999: 10; Salazar E. 2002: 124; Ehrmann 2002: 207; Otte and Spearman 2005: 133; Agudelo et al. 2007: 116, 142.

Liturgusa mesapoda : Agudelo 2004: 55, Table 3.1; Agudelo 2005: 3.

Type.

Holotype Female. Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Type locality.

French Guiana: Guiana Francesca, St. Laurent de Maroni (Depuiset) (Lat. 5.487038, Long. -54.008462).

Material examined.

Hagiomantis mesopoda (Westwood, 1889).

Taxonomic history.

One of the earlier specimens described ( Westwood 1889), Hagiomantis mesopoda has always been included within Liturgusa . However, the examination of the holotype while treating the broader diversity of Liturgusa has revealed the species actually fits within the closely related genus Hagiomantis Saussure & Zehntner, 1894. Although the species is moved into Hagiomantis , the broader genus is not treated within this study, but Hagiomantis mesopoda is redescribed herein. Two type specimens labeled as Liturgusa mesopoda from the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH Type 452 2/3 and 3/3) were also examined and found to be Liturgusa cayennensis . The history of these two specimens is not known, but they should not be considered as types of Hagiomantis mesopoda and may have been mislabeled at some point in the past. Further, Westwood (1889: 30) references only the holotype from St. Laurent de Maroni, French Guiana, and not any additional type material.

Diagnosis.

Large species with a dark dorsal habitus, the coloration with highly contrasting light and dark mottling on the forewings. Numerous tubercles present on the posterior (external) surface of the prothoracic femora, the mesofemora, and the metafemora.

Description.

Male. (Fig. 38A) N=1: Body length 31.77; forewing length 17.12; hindwing length 13.71; pronotum length 9.15; prozone length 2.60; pronotum width 2.76; pronotum narrow width 2.07; head width 5.33; head vertex to clypeus 2.03; frons width 1.80; frons height 0.74; prothoracic femur length 8.30; mesothoracic femur length 11.63; mesothoracic tibia length 9.67; mesothoracic tarsus length 7.86; metathoracic femur length 10.18; metathoracic tibia length 11.26; metathoracic tarsus length 11.21; pronotal elongation measure 0.28; pronotal shape measure 0.30; head shape measure 0.38; frons shape measure 0.41; anteroventral femoral spine count 15; anteroventral tibial spine count 10; posteroventral tibial spine count 8.

Head (Fig. 46G): Transverse with large, rounded eyes projecting outside the profile of the head both laterally and anteriorly (the anterior margin of the eyes anterior to the central surface of the head). Juxta-ocular protuberances present, the lateral third being the most pronounced; the vertex between the parietal sutures is slightly concave; vertex lower than the dorsal margin of the eyes. Frontal suture with a faint curved carina, forming sharp angle medially. Two slightly protruding mounds are located symmetrically between the lateral sections of the frontal suture and the parietal sutures. Ocelli small with the central ocellus oriented anteriorly while the lateral are oriented anterolaterally at the 45 degree angle from the central axis of the head; protruding slightly on cuticular mounds. Frons narrowed between the antennal insertion sites and depressed below the central ocellus; a transverse carina present below the central ocellus, running from lateral margins under the antennal insertion sites medially in a dorsally oriented curve. Upper margin of clypeus convex, lower margin slightly concave; a central protruding ridge; the lateral margins tapering, widest at the upper margin. Labrum with minimal sculpting and a rounded terminus; lateral margins widening ventrally and concave. Antennae filiform and with rare setae, pale proximally and fading to black distally. Varying levels of black markings across the anterior surface of head. Palpi are pale.

Pronotum (Fig. 50K): Elongate with a less defined supra-coxal bulge; dorsal surface with numerous tubercles; prozone long with parallel lateral margins prior to a rounded anterior margin; metazone long with sweeping concave lateral margins that exhibit small denticles; posterior margin of the metazone straight; the dorsal surface of the posterior half of the metazone depressed. Supra-coxal sulcus strongly defined. The lateral margins of the pronotum slightly expanded to form a small ledge. Colored with black and pale markings that vary across specimens.

Prothoracic Legs: Femur robust with a slightly concave dorsal margin distally, the proximal third convex; anteroventral and posteroventral spines well developed; line of small, pointed tubercles running medially of the posteroventral spines; anteroventral spines black, posteroventral spines pale basally with black terminus. A strongly pronounced continuous carina running from distal terminus of femur along dorsal margin to the base, circling the posterior (external) surface of the proximal end and running along the ventral margin at the base of the posteroventral spines. Pale to dark banding on posterior (external) surface of femur with numerous tubercles; anterior (inner) surface pale with femoral brush colored black; ventral surface pale. Well developed femoral pit on the ventral surface to accommodate terminal posteroventral tibial spine positioned on the lateral margin between the proximal two posteroventral spines, pushing the margin outward; pit is pale. Posterior prothoracic femoral genicular spine much smaller than posteroventral spines, originating distal to the beginning of the genicular lobe. Prothoracic tibial spines robust; the posteroventral spines with the first and second most proximal and fifth through seventh shorter than the slightly longer proximal third, fourth, and terminal spines; the anteroventral spines longest at distal end and shortening proximally. Prothoracic tibiae with a line of pronounced tubercles on the posterior surface, extending almost the entire length. Tarsi banded with pale and dark coloration. Prothoracic coxae smooth with varying black markings on the posterior and ventral surface, the anterior surface entirely pale.

Meso- and Metathoracic Legs: Long and slender with pale to dark banding on the femur and tibia. Femora with a pronounced ventral carina and a faint dorsal carina; posterior (upper) surface with pronounced tubercles. Tibiae banded with alternating pale and dark regions. Mesotarsi with first segment shorter than remaining segments combined. Metatarsi with first segment longer than remaining segments combined.

Wings: Fully developed, but shorter than the abdomen. Forewings mottled with contrasting regions of brown, white, and black; the costal region with alternating irregular banding from pale to dark its entire length; the costal region not expanded. The forewings may be colored asymmetrically, one being mottled as described above while the other is much darker. Hindwings opaque and smoky with near black veins; the terminus of the discoidal region blunt and not projecting beyond the distal margin of anal region, the wing appearing truncate.

Abdomen: Elongate, tubular, and smooth. Tergites with small, pointed posterolateral projections. Cerci cylindrical, long and setose, tapering to a point. Supra-anal plate broad with a blunt, straight terminus. Subgenital plate rounded, but with a broad medial depression, the bottom of which has a straight margin; without styli.

Genital Complex (Fig. 53F.1): The main body of ventral left sclerite (L4A) with a terminus that exhibits a heavily sclerotized region (75% percent of terminus) that ends abruptly on the left side with a angled, blunt nub. The apofisis falloid (afa) of the main body of dorsal left sclerite (L4B) well sclerotized with a very small, sharp terminus; the apical process (paa) heavily sclerotized and curved, ending with a smooth, rounded terminus that is heavily sclerotized. The right dorsal phallomere (fda) of the first sclerite of right phallomere (R1) tapers to a rounded terminus and is slightly sclerotized, without many setae; the ventral plate (pia) long and strongly sclerotized, extending nearly a third the entire length of R1, terminating with a rounded process oriented towards the ventral process (pva); the ventral process (pva) strongly sclerotized and small, tapering to a point.

Redescription.

Female. (Figs 38B, 39A) N=2: Body length 37.52-38.07 (37.79); forewing length 19.89-21.19 (20.54); hindwing length 16.84; pronotum length 11.53-11.54 (11.54); prozone length 3.24-3.34 (3.29); pronotum width 3.39-3.50 (3.45); pronotum narrow width 2.46-2.65 (2.55); head width 6.26-6.53 (6.39); head vertex to clypeus 2.54-2.70 (2.63); frons width 2.26-2.32 (2.29); frons height 0.93-0.96 (0.94); prothoracic femur length 10.09-10.43 (10.26); mesothoracic femur length 13.51-13.69 (13.60); mesothoracic tibia length 11.03-11.08 (11.05); mesothoracic tarsus length 9.78-9.94 (9.86); metathoracic femur length 11.82-11.96 (11.89); metathoracic tibia length 12.52-13.44 (12.98); metathoracic tarsus length 13.41-13.56 (13.49); pronotal elongation measure 0.28-0.29 (0.28); pronotal shape measure 0.29-0.30 (0.30); head shape measure 0.41; frons shape measure 0.41; anteroventral femoral spine count 15; anteroventral tibial spine count 10; posteroventral tibial spine count 8.

Head (Fig. 46H): Juxta-ocular protuberances present, the middle third being the most pronounced; the vertex between the parietal sutures is slightly concave; vertex just lower than the dorsal margin of the eyes. Two protruding mounds are located symmetrically between the lateral region of the frontal suture and the parietal suture; region above the frontal suture between the two mounds depressed. A carina connecting all three ocelli that continues laterally half the distance to the margin of the eye. Palpi pale with a dark terminus.

Pronotum (Fig. 50L): Metazone with sharply rounded posterior corners caused by straightening of the lateral margins in the posterior terminus connecting to a straight posterior margin.

Prothoracic Legs: As described for males.

Meso- and Metathoracic Legs: As described for males.

Wings: As described for males.

Abdomen: Elongate, gradually widening until the third to last tergite where it narrows dramatically, that last three segments being compressed. Tergites with small, pointed posterolateral projections. Supra-anal plate nearly square with a blunt, straight terminus.