Fuga, 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 : 113-116

Fuga gen. n.

Mantis (partim): Audinet Serville 1838: 199.

Oxypilus (partim): De Haan 1842: 84.

Liturgousa (partim): Saussure 1869: 62; Brauer 1870: 92; Saussure 1871b: 102 (♀ only; partim); Westwood 1889: 4, 49, pl. 2, fig. 3; Kirby 1904: 271; Werner 1906: 372; Chopard 1911: 323; Chopard 1916: 164; Rehn 1935: 199, pl. 8, fig. 4; Hughes-Schrader 1943: 266, 280, Table 1, Figs 19-28; Hughes-Schrader 1948: 267; Hughes-Schrader 1950: 11, Table 1; Cerdá 1996: 75.

Liturgusa (partim): Hebard 1922: 337; Giglio-Tos 1927: 294; Beier 1935: 11; Terra 1995: 53, Figs 85-87; Jantsch 1999: 48; Ehrmann 2002: 206; Otte and Spearman 2005: 132; Agudelo et al. 2007: 116, 141.

Hagiomantis (partim): Piza 1965: 130; Piza 1966: 8; Terra 1995: 54; Ehrmann 2002: 163-164; Otte and Spearman 2005: 129-130.

Type species.

Mantis annulipes Audinet Serville, 1838

Description.

Body: The overall coloration of all Fuga species varies with a mottled or camouflage pattern that incorporates black, brown, pale tan, white or grey, and sometimes shades of green. The mottled patterns can be diffuse or highly contrasting with whitish regions abutting black spots or splotches. All species are dorsoventrally flattened with disproportionately long legs in comparison to body length.

Measurement ranges: Male. Body length 18.84-22.11; forewing length 12.76-16.47; hindwing length 10.23-11.89; pronotum length 4.75-6.53; prozone length 1.54-2.12; pronotum width 2.02-2.42; pronotum narrow width 1.66-1.87; head width 4.33-4.88; head vertex to clypeus 1.59-1.86; frons width 1.49-1.63; frons height 0.52-0.65; prothoracic femur length 5.09-6.39; mesothoracic femur length 6.58-8.67; mesothoracic tibia length 5.20-7.00; mesothoracic tarsus length 4.79-6.03; metathoracic femur length 6.33-7.39; metathoracic tibia length 6.86-8.35; metathoracic tarsus length 6.98-9.11; pronotal elongation measure 0.32-0.33; pronotal shape measure 0.37-0.44; head shape measure 0.34-0.38; frons shape measure 0.34-0.40. Female. Body length 21.70-29.89; forewing length 14.89-20.82; hindwing length 12.08-16.07; pronotum length 5.75-7.85; prozone length 1.93-2.62; pronotum width 2.55-3.04; pronotum narrow width 1.98-2.34; head width 5.30-6.14; head vertex to clypeus 2.08-2.39; frons width 1.89-2.32; frons height 0.67-0.88; prothoracic femur length 6.26-8.17; mesothoracic femur length 7.22-9.92; mesothoracic tibia length 5.83-8.28; mesothoracic tarsus length 5.26-7.53; metathoracic femur length 7.24-10.01; metathoracic tibia length 8.07-11.50; metathoracic tarsus length 7.81-11.55; pronotal elongation measure 0.32-0.34; pronotal shape measure 0.36-0.49; head shape measure 0.37-0.41; frons shape measure 0.33-0.40.

Head: 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 to varying degrees within males, but always well developed in females. The vertex between the parietal sutures is either straight or concave. Frontal suture with a faint medial carina. Ocelli small in males protruding slightly on a cuticular mound; reduced in females and laying more flat on the surface. Central ocellus oriented anteriorly and lateral ocelli oriented outward, perpendicular to the central axis of the head or at most a few degrees off perpendicular. 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 straight; a transverse ridge medially; lateral margins tapering, widest at the upper margin. Labrum with minimal sculpting and a rounded terminus. Antennae filiform and with rare setae, pale or dark or a combination of both, never banded. Varying levels of black markings across the anterior surface of head that can include a transverse band or spots on the lower part of the frons, markings around the ocelli and the vertex, and markings on the clypeus, labrum and mandibles. Palpi are pale or with a darkened terminus.

Pronotum: Slightly elongate (pronotum shape measure 0.36) to squat (pronotum shape measure 0.49) with a moderately defined supra-coxal bulge; dorsal surface smooth or at most with dispersed, fine tubercles. Prozone with lateral margins that are parallel before tapering anteriorly. Metazone with concave lateral margins, always with a middle region that is narrower than the supra-coxal bulge and the posterior end. Coloration highly variable with pale and black markings. Supra-coxal sulcus strongly defined; posterior margin straight or barely medially emarginate.

Prothoracic legs: Femoral spine count of male and female: anteroventral 14-17, posteroventral 4, discoidal 4. Femur robust with a straight or slightly concave dorsal margin; anteroventral and posteroventral (internal and external, respectively) spines well developed; line of small tubercles running medially of the posteroventral spines. A continuous carina running from distal terminus of femur along dorsal margin to the base, circling the posterior 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; anterior (internal) surface entirely black or pale with varying patterns of black markings. Posterior (external) surface of femur smooth or with few tubercles. Well developed femoral pit on the ventral surface to accommodate terminal posteroventral tibial spine positioned between the most proximal posteroventral spine and the most distal discoidal spine; pit is colored black or pale. Prothoracic tibial spine count of male and female: anteroventral 9-10, posteroventral 8. Prothoracic tibial spines robust; the posteroventral spines with the first and second most proximal and fifth through seventh shorter than the longer proximal third, fourth, and terminal spines; the anteroventral spines longest at distal end and shortening proximally, but the sixth and seventh spines from the distal terminal spine longer than adjacent spines. Tarsi banded with pale and dark coloration. Prothoracic coxae smooth with no or a few very minor tubercles or setae along dorsal margin; black markings vary across species.

Meso- and metathoracic legs: Long and slender with pale to dark banding on the femur and tibia; posterior (upper) surface of femora smooth. Femora with ventral (posterior) carina, some species being more pronounced than others; dorsal (anterior) carina less pronounced, but visible. Tibia long and rounded with well developed terminal spurs. Mesotarsi with first segment as long or shorted than the remaining segments combined. Metatarsi with first segment equal to or longer than remaining segments combined.

Wings: Developed in males and females. Forewings mottled with contrasting regions of brown, green, and pale tan, and sometimes dark black; the costal region wide relative to the wing length, the width between 4-8% the total wing length, always with light - dark regular banding. The forewings may be colored asymmetrically, one being mottled as described above while the other is either dark rust or blackened with the mottled pattern still slightly visible (darker wing typically folded under the mottled wing). Hindwings opaque and smoky; the distal terminus of the discoidal region darker than the rest; the costal region can be much darker or paler than the discoidal region depending on species; the terminus of the discoidal region projecting well beyond the distal margin of anal region, making the wing appear pointed or elongate.

Abdomen: Males and females with gradually widening abdomen from first segment until the beginning of the distal half (segments 5-7) when the lateral margins narrow to the terminus, the middle being the broadest region. Posterolateral corners of tergites simple, without projections. Cerci cylindrical, long and setose, tapering to a point. Supra-anal plate long (females) or transverse (males), with a rounded or more pointed terminus. Subgenital plate of male with rounded, slightly irregular terminus; without styli.

Male genital complex: The main body of ventral left sclerite (L4A) with a prominent and curved distal process (pda). The apofisis falloid (afa) of the main body of dorsal left sclerite (L4B) well sclerotized with a blunt, rounded terminus; the apical process (paa) cylindrical and curved, terminating with a rounded end; with or without a large membranous lobe originating between the apofisis falloid (afa) and the apical process (paa), if present then with or without robust setae. The right dorsal phallomere (fda) of the first sclerite of right phallomere (R1) tapers to a rounded terminus and is mostly membranous with setae; the ventral plate (pia) strongly sclerotized and short, but with a smooth surface; the ventral process (pva) strongly sclerotized and curved.

Ootheca.

Unknown for the genus.

Etymology.

A noun in apposition, the name is derived from the Latin noun "fuga" meaning flight or escape, and the corresponding verb "fugere" meaning to evade or escape. Many that have collected or attempted to collect these mantises will recognize their ability to disappear on the tree, never to be seen again.

Key to species

Clave Para las Especies