Liturgusa dominica, 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 : 83-87

Liturgusa dominica sp. n.

Type.

Holotype Male, pinned. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.

Type locality.

Dominica, Grand Bay, IV-13-1964, O.S. Flint, Jr. (Lat. 15.239545, Long. -61.320099)

Material examined.

Liturgusa dominica sp. n.

Diagnosis.

This small species can be identified based on its slender size and its geographic restriction to the Caribbean island of Dominica. Much like Liturgusa milleri , the forewings also have white or grey spots in proximal quarter just posterior to the radial vein. The forewings are also net-like in appearance with pale veins and black pigmented cells. The anterior surface of the prothoracic coxae has no pigmentation, while Liturgusa milleri and Liturgusa cursor both have black markings. In addition, the juxta-ocular protuberances are very small and the entire vertex is concave, falling well below the dorsal margin of the eyes in both sexes. The other two species that resemble Liturgusa dominica are restricted to French Guiana and Central America ( Liturgusa milleri and Liturgusa cursor , respectively).

Description.

Male. (Fig. 20A) N=4: Body length 21.12-21.82 (21.38); forewing length 10.74-11.71 (11.29); hindwing length 8.12; pronotum length 6.91-7.28 (7.11); prozone length 2.02-2.11 (2.06); pronotum width 2.01-2.15 (2.09); pronotum narrow width 1.33-1.45 (1.40); head width 4.36-4.56 (4.47); head vertex to clypeus 1.55-1.67 (1.62); frons width 1.47-1.58 (1.53); frons height 0.56-0.60 (0.57); prothoracic femur length 6.02-6.47 (6.28); mesothoracic femur length 8.42-8.91 (8.66); mesothoracic tibia length 6.21-6.60 (6.44); mesothoracic tarsus length 5.79-6.19 (5.97); metathoracic femur length 8.58-9.05 (8.82); metathoracic tibia length 8.70-9.18 (8.93); metathoracic tarsus length 8.57-9.08 (8.80); pronotal elongation measure 0.29; pronotal shape measure 0.29-0.30 (0.29); head shape measure 0.36-0.38 (0.36); frons shape measure 0.36-0.40 (0.37); anteroventral femoral spine count 14-16 (15); anteroventral tibial spine count 10; posteroventral tibial spine count 7 (one male with 6 on left tibia).

Head (Fig. 43G): Transverse, the juxta-ocular protuberances barely present, reduced to a slight bulge, the apex of which is in the lateral half; the vertex is concave overall; the medial region well below the dorsal margin of the eyes. Frontal suture with a medial carina forming a continuous arc, but depressed into the anterior surface of the head, more so ventral to the suture. Ocelli small and protruding on small cuticular mounds. Lateral ocelli oriented outward, a few degrees off perpendicular. Clypeus transverse, the upper margin convex, the lower margin straight. Antennae pale at the base, the flagellum fading to brown near the base. Thin black band extending straight over the medial carina of the frontal suture, the medial portion of the carina pale; lower region of frons with a black band; the clypeus is pale; the mandibles and labrum mostly pale, but with some brown marks; the vertex and juxta-ocular protuberances pale, but with four brown and black marks positioned on each juxta-ocular protuberance and between the parietal sutures; the area immediately adjacent to lateral ocelli black. Palpi are pale.

Pronotum (Fig. 48I): Highly elongate with a defined supra-coxal bulge; dorsal surface entirely smooth. Prozone elongate with slightly convex lateral margins that taper anteriorly; the margins smooth. Metazone with strongly concave lateral margins, a slight bulge in the posterior half; margins with small tubercles; posterior margin with a medial emargination; the dorsal surface of the posterior third of the metazone barely depressed. Pale with strong black marks across the surface, swirls present at the supra-coxal bulge.

Prothoracic Legs: Femur elongate with a slightly concave dorsal margin; tubular in overall shape with the dorsal margin less defined, the anterior and posterior surfaces almost continuous; 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 medial to and exactly between the first two proximal posteroventral spines, but slightly proximal to the most distal discoidal spine; pit is pigmented darkly. Posterior prothoracic femoral genicular spine much smaller than posteroventral spines, originating just 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 much longer (about half the length of the terminal spine). Prothoracic coxae smooth, the anterior surface pale.

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

Wings: Forewings mottled with black, light brown, and greenish coloration; the costal region without strong banding, pale and black proximally and mostly black distally; veins are pale and cells are black across the discoidal and distal portion of the costal region, giving a contrasting net-like appearance; two pale spots are positioned in the proximal quarter of the discoidal region just posterior to the first radial vein. Forewings colored symmetrically; extending just beyond the terminus of the abdomen. Hindwings opaque brown, the discoidal region more pale proximally; the costal region light brown proximally and narrowing to the anterior margin distally; the terminus of the discoidal region barely projecting beyond the distal margin of anal region, the distal margin strongly emarginate between the anal and discoidal region.

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

Genital Complex (Fig. 52D.1): The main body of ventral left sclerite (L4A) with rounded terminus, but often with a slight bulge just lateral to the medial line, lacking a distal process (pda); sometimes a depression on the lateral half is present. The apofisis falloid (afa) of the main body of dorsal left sclerite (L4B) elongate and robust, tapering to a strong point and angled off the central axis of the L4B; the apical process (paa) broad, shortened, cylindrical and curved, the terminus a rounded end. The right dorsal phallomere (fda) of the first sclerite of right phallomere (R1) tapers to a rounded, membranous terminus; the ventral plate (pia) long and irregular, with grooves; the ventral process (pva) smooth and tapering to a point distally, one edge straight and the other convex, tooth-like in appearance.

Female. (Fig. 20B) N=2: Body length 26.05-27.47 (26.76); forewing length 12.52-12.79 (12.65); hindwing length 9.29; pronotum length 8.67-9.04 (8.85); prozone length 2.50-2.66 (2.58); pronotum width 2.57-2.65 (2.61); pronotum narrow width 1.66-1.72 (1.69); head width 5.22-5.29 (5.26); head vertex to clypeus 2.09; frons width 1.87-2.10 (1.98); frons height 0.63-0.78 (0.71); prothoracic femur length 7.69-7.75 (7.72); mesothoracic femur length 9.92-10.23 (10.08); mesothoracic tibia length 7.69-7.84 (7.77); mesothoracic tarsus length 6.73-6.78 (6.76); metathoracic femur length 10.00; metathoracic tibia length 10.57-10.94 (10.75); metathoracic tarsus length 9.78-9.97 (9.88); pronotal elongation measure 0.29; pronotal shape measure 0.29-0.30 (0.29); head shape measure 0.40; frons shape measure 0.30-0.42 (0.36); anteroventral femoral spine count 14-16 (16); anteroventral tibial spine count 10; posteroventral tibial spine count 7.

Head (Fig. 43H): Head is transverse, the juxta-ocular protuberances very small, reduced to a bulge, the apex of which is in the lateral half; the vertex is concave overall, the medial region below the dorsal margin of the eyes. Clypeus transverse, the upper margin convex, the lower margin concave. Antennae pale at the insertion, fading to a brown black at the first antennomere. The clypeus is pale with two dorsolateral dark spots; the mandibles and labrum mostly pale, but with some brown marks; the vertex and juxta-ocular protuberances pale, but with disperse brown markings; the area immediately adjacent to lateral ocelli black. Palpi are pale.

Pronotum (Fig. 48J): As described for males.

Prothoracic Legs: As described for males.

Meso- and Metathoracic Legs: As described for males.

Wings: Forewings shorter than the abdomen, often terminating at the fifth tergite. Hindwings with the terminus of the discoidal region barely projecting beyond the distal margin of anal region, the distal margin strongly emarginate between the anal and discoidal region.

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 slightly transverse, rounded.

Ootheca

(Fig. 21 A–B). Like all other known oothecae of Liturgusa , Liturgusa dominica produces a broad based case with a narrowing tube extending dorsolaterally away from the substrate. The eggs are contained within the bulbous base that is almost spherical excluding the flattened margin where the case is attached to the bark of a tree or branch. The tube narrows quickly and is short, about half the diameter of the main body. The tube is hollow and the entry is flat, but at an angle to the long axis of the tube, the upper margin extending further than the lower margin forming an elliptical opening that is parallel to the substrate (may reduce water intrusion).

Etymology.

A noun in apposition, Liturgusa dominica is named for the island of Dominica, where this species inhabits and appears to be endemic.