Liturgusa algorei, 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 : 94-97

Liturgusa algorei sp. n.

Type.

Holotype Male, pinned. Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH, USA.

Type locality.

Peru: Loreto Province, Madre Selva Biological Research Station, -3.62096, -72.24744, 10-17 February 2013, Coll: G.J. Svenson, Tissue 011, GSMC004007. (Lat. -3.62096, Long. -72.24744).

Material examined.

Liturgusa algorei sp. n.

Natural history.

Males and females found in local abundance at the Madre Selva Biological Research Station in the Loreto Province, Peru. The species was living in sympatry with Liturgusa krattorum on the same smooth bark, medium diameter trees. The species was easily collected during the day and often found at reachable heights in lower sections of the tree.

Diagnosis.

Extremely similar in coloration, size, and distribution to Liturgusa krattorum . Posterior prothoracic femoral genicular spine of female tiny, much smaller than seen in any other species. Overall color mottling darker with greater contrast, the hindwings being darkly smoke colored or nearly black and never rusty as in Liturgusa krattorum .

Description.

Male. (Fig. 24A) N=7: Body length 22.00-24.36 (23.42); forewing length 13.17-14.98 (14.31); hindwing length 10.89-11.64 (11.28); pronotum length 7.11-7.79 (7.52); prozone length 1.94-2.18 (2.08); pronotum width 2.15-2.33 (2.23); pronotum narrow width 1.52-1.68 (1.57); head width 4.51-5.10 (4.83); head vertex to clypeus 1.89-2.03 (1.97); frons width 1.69-1.77 (1.72); frons height 0.63-0.75 (0.69); prothoracic femur length 6.20-7.00 (6.70); mesothoracic femur length 7.07-10.52 (9.43); mesothoracic tibia length 5.67-8.22 (7.37); mesothoracic tarsus length 5.36-6.94 (6.36); metathoracic femur length 8.97-10.71 (9.91); metathoracic tibia length 9.06-10.85 (9.88); metathoracic tarsus length 9.77-11.08 (10.44); pronotal elongation measure 0.27-0.28 (0.28); pronotal shape measure 0.28-0.31 (0.30); head shape measure 0.39-0.44 (0.41); frons shape measure 0.36-0.44 (0.40); anteroventral femoral spine count 15-16 (15); anteroventral tibial spine count 10-11 (10); posteroventral tibial spine count 7.

Head (Fig. 44C): Juxta-ocular protuberances large, the apex in the lateral third; the vertex between the parietal sutures is straight; vertex just below 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 slightly concave with a medial bulge. Antennae pale basally fading quickly to black. Broad black band extending from eye to eye over the medial carina of the frontal suture; lower region of frons with a transverse black band; vertex and juxta-ocular protuberances speckled with brown and black marks. Palpi are pale.

Pronotum (Fig. 49C): Elongate with a moderately defined supra-coxal bulge; dorsal surface entirely smooth. Prozone with lateral margins that are parallel, tapering anteriorly; the margins smooth. Metazone with concave lateral margins; margins smooth or at most with very small and blunt tubercles; posterior margin medially emarginate; the dorsal surface of the posterior half slightly depressed, evenly concave.

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 colored black. Posterior prothoracic femoral genicular spine much smaller than posteroventral spines, originating at the beginning of the genicular lobe. Prothoracic tibial posteroventral spines with the first (proximal) smallest and the second through sixth of similar length, the second and third may be slightly longer. Prothoracic coxae smooth; the anterior surface with a medial black band centrally located in the central 75% of the surface; a very small black spot on the distal lobe.

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

Wings: Forewings mottled with brown, black, and pale coloration; the costal region with light to dark irregular banding. Forewings colored asymmetrically, one being mottled the other is blackened with the mottled pattern still slightly visible. Hindwings smoky black with rusty coloration at the very base of the discoidal region; the terminus of the discoidal region projecting well beyond the distal margin of anal region.

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

Genital Complex (Fig. 52G.1-G.2): The main body of ventral left sclerite (L4A) with a prominent, distal process (pda) positioned medially and tapering to a sclerotized point that is oriented in line with the central axis of L4A; the margins of the pda sclerotized and either straight or convex. The apofisis falloid (afa) of the main body of dorsal left sclerite (L4B) tapering to an elongate, sharp point that is well sclerotized and oriented approximately 35 degrees from the central axis; the apical process (paa) cylindrical and gently curved, the terminus being an expanded, blunt knob. The right dorsal phallomere (fda) of the first sclerite of right phallomere (R1) tapers to a rounded terminus, the lateral margins being sclerotized and robust with a medial, membranous gap at the terminus; the ventral plate (pia) strongly sclerotized, broadened proximally with large curved grooves; the ventral process (pva) c-shaped, broad, and rounded distally, the surface slightly rough.

Female. (Fig. 24B) N=4: Body length 31.26-32.15 (31.68); forewing length 17.99-19.15 (18.61); hindwing length 14.78-15.39 (15.08); pronotum length 9.11-9.99 (9.74); prozone length 2.70-2.88 (2.81); pronotum width 2.94-3.14 (3.07); pronotum narrow width 1.84-2.08 (1.97); head width 5.75-6.28 (6.12); head vertex to clypeus 2.60-2.76 (2.69); frons width 2.31-2.54 (2.43); frons height 0.89-0.96 (0.92); prothoracic femur length 8.75-9.23 (8.99); mesothoracic femur length 11.24-12.09 (11.81); mesothoracic tibia length 8.58-9.39 (9.13); mesothoracic tarsus length 7.73-8.22 (7.95); metathoracic femur length 11.34-12.45 (12.01); metathoracic tibia length 11.62-12.49 (12.20); metathoracic tarsus length 10.81-12.5 (11.95); pronotal elongation measure 0.28-0.30 (0.29); pronotal shape measure 0.29-0.34 (0.32); head shape measure 0.42-0.47 (0.44); frons shape measure 0.37-0.39 (0.38); anteroventral femoral spine count 14-15 (15); anteroventral tibial spine count 10; posteroventral tibial spine count 7.

Head (Fig. 44D): The vertex between the parietal sutures is slightly concave; vertex just above the dorsal margin of the eyes. Ocelli small and laying flatly on the surface. Lower margin of clypeus straight with a slight medial bulge. Broad black band extending from eye to eye over the medial carina of the frontal suture, but with medial gap; lower region of frons with lateral black markings, a pale medial region. Palpi darkened terminally.

Pronotum (Fig. 49D): Margins of metazone with numerous small, sharp tubercles.

Prothoracic Legs: Posterior prothoracic femoral genicular spine tiny, barely present, originating at 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 longer. Anterior surface of prothoracic coxae with a black medial mark in the proximal half.

Meso- and Metathoracic Legs: Femora with ventral (posterior) and dorsal (anterior) carina present.

Wings: Forewings colored symmetrically. Hindwings smoky black with rusty coloration at the very base of the discoidal region, sometimes extending distally along anterior margin; the terminus of the discoidal region projecting slightly beyond the distal margin of anal region.

Abdomen: Widening from first segment until the beginning of the distal half (segments 5-6) when the lateral margins narrow to the terminus, the middle being the broadest region. Tergites with slight posterolateral tergal projections in the distal half of the abdomen. Supra-anal plate slightly transverse, tapering to a rounded terminus.

Etymology.

A noun in the genitive case, Liturgusa algorei is named for Albert Arnold 'Al' Gore, Jr., former Vice President of the United States of America, for his environmental activism including his efforts to raise public awareness of global climate change.