Liturgusa actuosa Rehn, 1950

Svenson, Gavin J., 2014, Revision of the Neotropical bark mantis genus Liturgusa Saussure, 1869 (Insecta, Mantodea, Liturgusini), ZooKeys 390, pp. 1-214 : 91-94

Liturgusa actuosa Rehn, 1950

Liturgousa actuosa : Rehn 1950: 377-382, Figs 12-17; Hughes-Schrader 1951: 178, 183-184, 186-187, Tables 1-2, Fig. 2; Hughes-Schrader 1953: 544-554; Callan and Jacobs 1957: 201; Otte 1978: 76;

Liturgousa arcuosa : Hughes-Schrader 1950: 11-14, 38-39, Table 1, Fig. 10; Henderson 1965: 206, 215.

Liturgusa actuosa : Terra 1995: 53; Jantsch 1999: 47; Ehrmann 2002: 206; Otte and Spearman 2005: 132; Agudelo et al. 2007: 116.

Type.

Holotype Male. Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Type no. 5760.

Type locality.

Panama, Barro Colorado Island, Gatun Lake, Canal Zone, January 1, 1948. (Dr. Franz Schrader, no. 637.) (Lat. 9.164966, Long. -79.837098).

Material examined.

Liturgusa actuosa Rehn, 1950.

Taxonomic history.

Described in 1950 by James Rehn, the species was only known from Barro Colorado Island in the Republic of Panama. At the time, it was considered most similar to Liturgusa annulipes rather than the sympatric Liturgusa cursor , but this study establishes that Liturgusa annulipes is not distributed in Central America and Liturgusa actuosa was being compared with an unknown taxon considered as Liturgusa annulipes at the time. Interestingly, the species was included in a number of studies focused on chromosomes headed by Sally Hughes-Schrader in the 1940's and into the 60's. Other than being included in species records for regional studies and taxonomic lists, the species has received no taxonomic attention since its original description.

Diagnosis.

The species is most similar in appearance to Liturgusa cameroni and Liturgusa nubeculosa , but is much smaller and restricted entirely to Central America. The pronotum is moderately elongate and the coloration of forewing is more evenly brown rather than exhibiting the highly contrasting mottled color patterns as seen in Liturgusa nubeculosa . The costal region of the forewing is more pale or green with black markings that are not consistent with regular banding. In addition, the discoidal region of the hindwing projects well beyond the terminal margin of the anal region while the hindwing of Liturgusa cameroni and Liturgusa nubeculosa are more truncate. The wings extend just shy of the tip of the abdomen in females, but extend slightly beyond in males.

A thorough description of the male and female was provided by Rehn (1950) and can be referred to in addition to the standardized description provided herein.

Redescription.

Male. (Fig. 23A) N=7: Body length 22.22-24.52 (23.50); forewing length 14.46-16.13 (15.44); hindwing length 11.63; pronotum length 6.59-7.08 (6.78); prozone length 1.92-2.12 (2.03); pronotum width 2.19-2.40 (2.28); pronotum narrow width 1.60-1.72 (1.64); head width 4.78-4.95 (4.88); head vertex to clypeus 1.87-2.00 (1.93); frons width 1.66-1.74 (1.70); frons height 0.61-0.73 (0.68); prothoracic femur length 6.10-6.57 (6.32); mesothoracic femur length 7.73-8.49 (8.02); mesothoracic tibia length 6.16-6.48 (6.32); mesothoracic tarsus length 5.44-5.54 (5.50); metathoracic femur length 7.78-8.93 (8.15); metathoracic tibia length 7.11-9.12 (8.59); metathoracic tarsus length 6.41-8.28 (7.71); pronotal elongation measure 0.29-0.31 (0.30); pronotal shape measure 0.33-0.35 (0.34); head shape measure 0.38-0.41 (0.40); frons shape measure 0.36-0.44 (0.40); anteroventral femoral spine count 13-15 (15); anteroventral tibial spine count 9-10 (10); posteroventral tibial spine count 7.

Head (Fig. 44A): Juxta-ocular protuberances small, the apex in the middle third; the vertex between the parietal sutures is straight; vertex even with the 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, a few degrees off perpendicular. Upper margin of clypeus convex, lower margin barely concave. Antennae pale basally fading gradually to dark brown or black near the middle. Broad black band extending straight over the medial carina of the frontal suture; lower region of frons with a broad black band; the clypeus mostly black with pale lateral and lower margins; the mandibles pale with lateral darkening; the labrum mostly dark; the vertex pale with black splotches and juxta-ocular protuberances mostly black anteriorly; the area around the ocelli mostly black. Palpi are pale.

Pronotum (Fig. 49A): Moderately elongate with a slightly defined supra-coxal bulge; dorsal surface with very few, very small tubercles that are mostly in the posterior half of the metazone. Prozone with lateral margins that are gently convex, tapering anteriorly; the margins smooth or at most with one or two very small tubercles. Metazone with concave lateral margins; margins with numerous small tubercles; posterior margin medially emarginate; the dorsal surface of the posterior third of the metazone not depressed. Brown coloration dominant, but a few strong black marks.

Prothoracic Legs: Femur elongate with a slightly concave dorsal margin; strongly defined pale to dark banding on posterior (external) surface, but dark areas are dominant; area between the posteroventral spines black; anterior (internal) surface with a thin 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 entirely black. 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) and fourth through sixth approximately the same size, the second and third being much longer. Prothoracic coxae smooth; the anterior surface with a small black mark in the proximal half positioned medially in both orientations.

Meso- and Metathoracic Legs: Femora with ventral (posterior) carina; dorsal (anterior) carina obvious. Mesotarsi with first segment at most equal to remaining segments combined.

Wings: Forewings mostly brown with darker splotching, the anterior margin of the costal region green or pale, the veins are mostly pale; lacking highly contrasting coloration and more evenly dark brown; the costal region with dark marks, but not regularly banded. Forewings colored symmetrically. Hindwings smoky black with the anterior and basal region of the discoidal region with faded dark brown coloration; the anal region smoky and translucent; the terminus of the discoidal region projecting well beyond the distal margin of anal region, the wing elongate in appearance.

Abdomen: Elongate, tubular with slight widening before posterior narrowing; smooth, a brown and black colored dorsal surface. Supra-anal plate transverse, tapering to a broadly rounded terminus. Subgenital plate irregularly rounded and without styli.

Genital Complex (Fig. 52F.1-F.3): The main body of ventral left sclerite (L4A) with a small, dull, cone-shaped distal process (pda) positioned laterally on the terminus and oriented 45 degrees from the central axis of the L4A. The apofisis falloid (afa) of the main body of dorsal left sclerite (L4B) straight and tapering into a short, sharp point; the apical process (paa) cylindrical and curved, the terminus evenly rounded. The right dorsal phallomere (fda) of the first sclerite of right phallomere (R1) tapers to a rounded, membranous terminus; the ventral plate (pia) strongly sclerotized and narrow, with a few strongly defined and curved grooves; the ventral process (pva) small and irregularly shaped, tapering to a point with a rough surface oriented towards the pia.

Redescription.

Female. (Fig. 23B) N=2: Body length 26.90-28.73 (27.81); forewing length 16.84-17.63 (17.23); hindwing length 14.55; pronotum length 7.79-7.97 (7.88); prozone length 2.37-2.46 (2.42); pronotum width 2.74-2.78 (2.76); pronotum narrow width 1.93-1.94 (1.94); head width 5.68-5.72 (5.70); head vertex to clypeus 2.46-2.51 (2.48); frons width 2.15; frons height 0.82-0.83 (0.82); prothoracic femur length 7.43-7.66 (7.54); mesothoracic femur length 8.43; mesothoracic tibia length 6.84; mesothoracic tarsus length 5.98; metathoracic femur length 8.43-8.62 (8.52); metathoracic tibia length 9.71-9.77 (9.74); metathoracic tarsus length 8.73; pronotal elongation measure 0.30-0.31 (0.31); pronotal shape measure 0.35; head shape measure 0.43-0.44 (0.43); frons shape measure 0.38; anteroventral femoral spine count 14-15 (14); anteroventral tibial spine count 10; posteroventral tibial spine count 7.

Head (Fig. 44B): Juxta-ocular protuberances moderately pronounced, the apex in the middle third; the vertex between the parietal sutures is slightly concave; vertex well above the dorsal margin of the eyes. Ocelli small and laying nearly flat. Antennae pale brown basally, fading gradually to dark brown. Clypeus mostly pale with lateral and lower margins that are dark brown, but pale on the very edge; the labrum mostly pale; the vertex and juxta-ocular protuberances brown with disperse black splotches. Palpi are pale.

Pronotum (Fig. 49B): Dorsal surface with few, very small tubercles.

Prothoracic Legs: Femur moderately elongate with a slightly concave dorsal margin.

Meso- and Metathoracic Legs: As described for males.

Wings: As described for males.

Abdomen: Widening from first segment until the beginning of the distal half (segments 4-5) when the lateral margins narrow to the terminus, the middle being the broadest region. Tergites without posterolateral tergal projections. Supra-anal plate almost as long as wide, evenly rounded.