Liturgusa maroni, Svenson, Gavin J., 2014

Svenson, Gavin J., 2014, Revision of the Neotropical bark mantis genus Liturgusa Saussure, 1869 (Insecta, Mantodea, Liturgusini), ZooKeys 390, pp. 1-214 : 104-106

Liturgusa maroni sp. n.

Type.

Holotype Female, pinned. Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France.

Type locality.

French Guiana: Guyane Franc, St-Laurent du Maroni, Collection Le Moult, Coll. L. Chopard, 1919, Octobre (Lat. 5.487038, Long. -54.008462).

Material examined.

Liturgusa maroni sp. n.

Diagnosis.

A medium size species known only from female specimens from French Guiana. Most similar to Liturgusa nubeculosa , but much smaller and with blunt and shortened hindwings. The pronotum is moderately elongate and females have a broad abdomen. Forewings slightly shortened and obviously rounded, extending barely to the tip of the abdomen.

Description.

Female. (Fig. 7B) N=2: Body length 27.81-28.75 (28.28); forewing length 15.94-16.24 (16.09); hindwing length 12.69-12.78 (12.73); pronotum length 8.98-9.19 (9.09); prozone length 2.54-2.63 (2.58); pronotum width 3.00-3.04 (3.02); pronotum narrow width 2.01-2.21 (2.11); head width 6.18-6.29 (6.23); head vertex to clypeus 2.49-2.66 (2.58); frons width 2.27-2.30 (2.28); frons height 0.78; prothoracic femur length 8.49-8.88 (8.68); mesothoracic femur length 11.09-11.74 (11.41); mesothoracic tibia length 8.95-9.36 (9.15); mesothoracic tarsus length 7.78-8.05 (7.92); metathoracic femur length 11.25-11.77 (11.51); metathoracic tibia length 12.39-12.82 (12.60); metathoracic tarsus length 12.11-12.37 (12.24); pronotal elongation measure 0.28-0.29 (0.28); pronotal shape measure 0.33; head shape measure 0.40-0.43 (0.41); frons shape measure 0.34; anteroventral femoral spine count 16; anteroventral tibial spine count 10; posteroventral tibial spine count 7.

Head (Fig. 45B): Slightly transverse, juxta-ocular protuberances large, the apex in the middle third; the vertex between the parietal sutures is slightly concave; vertex above dorsal margin of the eyes. Frontal suture with a medial carina forming a continuous arc. Ocelli small and protruding on small cuticular mounds. Lateral ocelli oriented outward. Upper margin of clypeus barely convex, lower margin concave. Black markings surrounding frontal suture, the lower forming a point medially; lateral margins of frons with two, small black marks; the clypeus pale; the mandibles dark brown; the labrum mostly pale; the vertex and juxta-ocular protuberances splotched with dark brown marks; the area adjacent to lateral ocelli black. Palpi are pale.

Pronotum (Fig. 49I): Elongate with a moderately defined supra-coxal bulge; dorsal surface entirely smooth. Prozone with lateral margins that broaden slightly anterior to the supra-coxal sulcus before tapering anteriorly to a rounded terminus. Metazone with concave lateral margins, becoming nearly parallel in the posterior half with a slight bulge prior to narrowing towards the rounded posterior terminus; margins with small tubercles; posterior margin medially emarginate; the dorsal surface of the posterior half moderately depressed. The two posterior bulges on each side of the medial line are pronounced. Mostly brown with few black markings.

Prothoracic Legs: Femur elongate with a slightly concave dorsal margin; strongly defined pale to dark banding on posterior (external) surface; anterior (internal) surface with a black band running medially from the base to terminus; the ventral surface pale. Posterior surface of femur with few tubercles. A well developed femoral pit to accommodate terminal posteroventral tibial spine positioned medially to the proximal two posteroventral spines and in line with the distal most discoidal spine; pit is pale. Posterior prothoracic femoral genicular spine smaller than posteroventral spines, originating distal to the beginning of the genicular lobe. Prothoracic tibial posteroventral spines with the first (proximal) and fourth through sixth approximately the same size, the third being longer and the second very long, being nearly as long as the terminal spine. Prothoracic coxae smooth; the anterior surface with a broad, black band medially in the proximal half as well as a black spot medially towards the distal terminus.

Meso- and Metathoracic Legs: Femora with ventral (posterior) carina; dorsal (anterior) carina faint. Mesotarsi with first segment slightly shorter or the same length as the remaining segments combined.

Wings: Forewings mottled with brown, black, and pale coloration that is highly contrasting with large regions of lighter colored splotches; the costal region widened slightly with irregularly spaced black and pale banding; the terminus rounded and blunt, the overall shape appearing like a paddle, not extending to the tip of the abdomen. Forewings colored symmetrically. Hindwings smoky grey and translucent, the costal region more pale; the terminus of the discoidal region not projecting beyond the distal margin of anal region, the wing appearing truncate.

Abdomen: Broad, widening from first segment until the beginning of the distal half (segment 4) when the lateral margins narrow gradually to the terminus, the middle being the broadest region. Tergites in the posterior half with small posterolateral tergal projections. Supra-anal plate triangular with rounded margins and a rounded point.

Etymology.

A noun in apposition, Liturgusa maroni is named for the Maroni River near the type locality of Saint Laurent du Maroni on the border of French Guiana and Suriname.