Liturgusa lichenalis Gerstaecker, 1889

Svenson, Gavin J., 2014, Revision of the Neotropical bark mantis genus Liturgusa Saussure, 1869 (Insecta, Mantodea, Liturgusini), ZooKeys 390, pp. 1-214 : 33-37

Liturgusa lichenalis Gerstaecker, 1889

Liturgusa lichenalis : Gerstaecker 1889: 52-53; Bertkau 1889: 87; Terra 1995: 54; Ehrmann 2002: 207; Otte and Spearman 2005: 133; Agudelo et al. 2007: 116.

Liturgousa lichenalis : Westwood 1889: 5, 51; Kirby 1904: 271; Caudell 1918: 5; Rehn 1935: 199; Rehn 1954: 179, pl. 1, fig. 1.

Liturgusa annulipes (partim): Giglio-Tos 1927: 294; Beier 1935: 11; Jantsch 1999: 48.

Type.

Holotype Female. Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald, Germany.

Type locality.

Peru: Jurimaguas (Lat. -5.900438, Long. -76.125298).

Material examined.

Liturgusa lichenalis Gerstaecker, 1889

Taxonomic history.

Described in 1889 by Gerstaecker, the species has been largely ignored other than inclusion in taxonomic lists and some regional studies. Giglio-Tos (1927) considered Liturgusa lichenalis as the synonym of Fuga annulipes , but this treatment is erroneous as it is apparent that no previous work had an accurate concept of Fuga annulipes . Rehn (1935) corrected this erroneous synonym by comparing the types of both species.

Diagnosis.

Almost identical to Liturgusa cayennensis , but primarily distributed in the western Amazon basin rather than in the Guyanas in the northeastern coastal region of South America. In addition, the abdomens of males and females are broader than Liturgusa cayennensis and have posterolateral tergal projections in the distal half. Another distinguishing external character for Liturgusa lichenalis comparison to Liturgusa cayennensis is that the first segment of the mesotarsi is obviously shorter than the remaining segments combined while this segment is the same length as the remaining segments combined in Liturgusa cayennensis .

Description.

Male. (Fig. 5A) N=12: Body length 18.59-24.79 (21.45); forewing length 12.62-16.54 (14.17); hindwing length 10.27-11.75 (11.01); pronotum length 5.03-6.59 (5.74); prozone length 1.55-2.07 (1.78); pronotum width 2.33-3.18 (2.68); pronotum narrow width 1.78-2.47 (2.07); head width 4.54-5.75 (5.03); head vertex to clypeus 1.81-2.03 (1.91); frons width 1.66-1.93 (1.78); frons height 0.59-0.75 (0.67); prothoracic femur length 5.60-7.14 (6.19); mesothoracic femur length 6.37-8.50 (7.38); mesothoracic tibia length 4.78-6.27 (5.52); mesothoracic tarsus length 4.77-6.25 (5.32); metathoracic femur length 6.71-8.92 (7.55); metathoracic tibia length 6.82-8.68 (7.64); metathoracic tarsus length 6.41-8.40 (7.34); pronotal elongation measure 0.30-0.33 (0.31); pronotal shape measure 0.44-0.49 (0.47); head shape measure 0.38-0.40 (0.39); frons shape measure 0.35-0.40 (0.38); anteroventral femoral spine count 13-17 (15); anteroventral tibial spine count 10; posteroventral tibial spine count 7.

Head (Fig. 40C): Transverse, the juxta-ocular protuberances small, but pronounced, the apex slightly in the lateral half; the vertex is straight, even with the dorsal margin of the eyes. Frontal suture with a medial carina forming a continuous arc, most pronounced medially, the region just ventral depressed. Ocelli small and protruding on small cuticular mounds, but the region between all three slightly raised; the lateral ocelli oriented outward. The carina on the frons present, but not highly pronounced, the medial region just ventral to the carina depressed. Clypeus transverse, the upper margin convex, the lower margin slightly concave; the central carina strongly pronounced and straight. Antennae pale at the base, the flagellum fading gradually to dark brown around a third of the way from the base. Black band extending straight over the medial carina of the frontal suture, the medial portion of the carina pale; a branch of the black band extends ventro-laterally between the eye and antennal insertion at a forty five degree angle; area around parietal sutures pale or dark brown. Lower region of frons darkened; the clypeus is pale; the mandibles and labrum mostly pale, but with some brown marks; the vertex and juxta-ocular protuberances mostly pale; the area immediately adjacent to lateral ocelli black. Palpi are pale.

Pronotum (Fig. 47C): Short and squat with a poorly defined supra-coxal bulge; dorsal surface entirely smooth or with few blunt tubercles in the posterior half. Prozone squat with near parallel margins before tapering anteriorly to a rounded anterior margin; the margins smooth. Metazone with barely concave lateral margins, mostly tapering consistently from the supra-coxal bulge posteriorly until a very slight widening in the posterior quarter leading to the posterior margin; margins smooth; posterior margin with a slight medial emargination; the dorsal surface of the posterior half of the metazone depressed; two small and elongate bulges barely present on the dorsal surface near the posterior margin and positioned laterally, sometimes absent. Pale with strong black marks across the surface, two prominent black marks laterally just posterior to the supra-coxal sulcus.

Prothoracic Legs: Femur squat and robust with a slightly concave dorsal margin; strongly defined pale to dark banding on posterior (external) surface; anterior (internal) surface with a very thin black band running medially from the base to terminus, a small black mark dorsal to the band at the midpoint, and a dark mark dorsal to the band near the femoral brush; the ventral surface pale. Posterior surface of femur with few tubercles. A shallow femoral pit to accommodate terminal posteroventral tibial spine positioned slightly distal to the first proximal posteroventral spine and in line with the most distal discoidal spine; pit is pigmented darkly or pale. Posterior prothoracic femoral genicular spine much smaller than posteroventral spines, originating distal to the beginning of the genicular lobe. Prothoracic tibial posteroventral spines with the first (proximal) smallest and the fourth through sixth of similar length, the second and third are slightly longer. Prothoracic coxae smooth, the anterior surface pale.

Meso- and Metathoracic Legs: Femora with ventral (posterior) carina; dorsal (anterior) carina pronounced. Mesotarsi with first segment shorter than the remaining segments combined.

Wings: Forewings mottled with brown, pale and greenish coloration; the costal region without strongly defined banding, green and brown proximally with some low contrasting bands developing distally; veins not contrasting from surrounding coloration; two pale spots are positioned in the proximal quarter of the discoidal region just posterior to the first radial vein; a large pale spot is positioned centrally. Forewings often, but not always asymmetrically colored; one being mottled as described the other is darkened significantly with a rust tone, the mottled pattern still visible; extending just beyond or as long as the abdomen. Hindwings with discoidal region opaque and colored brown or rust; the anal region smoky and translucent; the terminus of the discoidal region projecting beyond the distal margin of anal region, the wing appearing slightly elongate.

Abdomen: Broad, widening until the fifth tergite before a gradual posterior narrowing; a smooth, brown and black colored dorsal surface. Tergites with small posterolateral tergal projections beginning on the sixth segment. Supra-anal plate slightly transverse, margins tapering gradually to a broadly rounded terminus. Subgenital plate irregularly rounded and without styli.

Genital Complex (Fig. 51B.1-B.4): The main body of ventral left sclerite (L4A) with rounded terminus, but with a short, laterally positioned distal process (pda) that is rounded and sometimes, but not always, projecting at an angle towards the medial axis of the L4A that can create a strongly angled transition from the terminal margin of the L4A to the medial margin of the pda; sometimes a depression on the lateral half is present. The apofisis falloid (afa) of the main body of dorsal left sclerite (L4B) very short, broad, tapered to the point and heavily sclerotized, not curved; the apical process (paa) short, cylindrical and curved, the terminus with a rounded end. The right dorsal phallomere (fda) of the first sclerite of right phallomere (R1) tapers to a broad, rounded, membranous terminus, the lateral margin often folded over; the ventral plate (pia) long, broadened proximally and with strongly defined grooves; the ventral process (pva) smooth and tapering to a point distally, one edge straight and the other convex, tooth-like in appearance, but the proximal half c-shaped.

Redescription.

Female. (Figs 4C, 5B) N=8: Body length 25.68-32.17 (28.36); forewing length 16.25-19.99 (18.46); hindwing length 13.46-16.50 (14.96); pronotum length 6.68-8.26 (7.48); prozone length 2.12-2.64 (2.36); pronotum width 3.29-3.99 (3.59); pronotum narrow width 2.49-2.82 (2.71); head width 5.96-7.01 (6.48); head vertex to clypeus 2.55-3.05 (2.81); frons width 2.36-2.87 (2.62); frons height 0.93-1.13 (1.01); prothoracic femur length 7.40-9.15 (8.11); mesothoracic femur length 8.30-9.76 (8.85); mesothoracic tibia length 6.39-8.13 (7.04); mesothoracic tarsus length 5.67-6.75 (6.19); metathoracic femur length 8.18-9.91 (8.75); metathoracic tibia length 8.59-11.05 (9.60); metathoracic tarsus length 7.73-9.35 (8.51); pronotal elongation measure 0.31-0.33 (0.32); pronotal shape measure 0.47-0.51 (0.48); head shape measure 0.42-0.44 (0.43); frons shape measure 0.36-0.41 (0.39); anteroventral femoral spine count 15-16 (15); anteroventral tibial spine count 10; posteroventral tibial spine count 7.

Head (Fig. 40D): As long as wide, the juxta-ocular protuberances very large, the apex in the middle; the vertex is slightly concave, above the dorsal margin of the eyes. Ocelli small and protruding on a continuous carina connecting the three and extending slightly laterally; region between all three raised slightly. Black marking present over the medial carina of the frontal suture; the vertex and juxta-ocular protuberances with dark markings.

Pronotum (Fig. 47D): Metazone with barely concave lateral margins, tapering rapidly in the first third from the supra-coxal bulge, the middle third near parallel before widening to the posterior margin; margins smooth or with few small tubercles; posterior margin with a medial emargination; few small tubercles present.

Prothoracic Legs: Anterior (internal) surface of femur with a very thin black band running medially from the base to terminus that is often interrupted, a small black mark dorsal to the band at the midpoint, and a dark mark dorsal to the band near the femoral brush.

Meso- and Metathoracic Legs: As described for males.

Wings: Forewings mottled with contrasting brown, pale and greenish coloration; veins pale brown. Forewings often, but not always asymmetrically colored; one being mottled as described the other is darkened with a rust or black tone, the mottled pattern still visible; extending to the terminus of the abdomen. Hindwings with discoidal region opaque and colored brown, rust or dark yellow; the anal region smoky and translucent.

Abdomen: Very broad, widening until the fifth tergite before a gradual posterior narrowing, the abdomen almost circular; a smooth, brown and black colored dorsal surface. Tergites with large posterolateral tergal projections beginning on the fourth segment. Supra-anal plate slightly transverse, margins tapering gradually to a rounded terminus.