Liturgusa purus, 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 : 110-113

Liturgusa purus sp. n.

Type.

Holotype Male, pinned. Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Type locality.

Brazil, Hyutanahan, Rio Purus, March 1922, S.M. Klages (Lat. -5.602502, Long. -63.221263).

Material examined.

Liturgusa purus sp. n.

Diagnosis.

Brown and light green with a slender appearance. Forewings asymmetrically colored and hindwings with the discoidal region mostly orange or rust colored. Most similar to Liturgusa krattorum and Liturgusa algorei , but with a paler head and a less contrasting banding pattern. The prothoracic femora are more brown across the posterior surface compared to the other two species. In addition, Liturgusa purus has a posterior prothoracic femoral genicular spine that originates well proximal to the beginning of the genicular lobe, which is unique among Liturgusa krattorum , Liturgusa algorei , and other Cursor Group species.

Description.

Male. (Fig. 29A) N=2: Body length 29.16; forewing length 15.12-17.65 (16.39); hindwing length 11.86; pronotum length 7.42; prozone length 2.00; pronotum width 2.36; pronotum narrow width 1.61; head width 4.90; head vertex to clypeus 2.03; frons width 1.71; frons height 0.68; prothoracic femur length 6.64; mesothoracic femur length 9.40-11.15 (10.28); mesothoracic tibia length 7.44-8.83 (8.14); mesothoracic tarsus length 6.89; metathoracic femur length 9.67-11.48 (10.58); metathoracic tibia length 9.99-12.00 (10.99); metathoracic tarsus length 10.48-11.13 (10.80); pronotal elongation measure 0.27; pronotal shape measure 0.32; head shape measure 0.41; frons shape measure 0.40; anteroventral femoral spine count 15-16 (16); anteroventral tibial spine count 10; posteroventral tibial spine count 7.

Head (Fig. 45A): Transverse, juxta-ocular protuberances large, the apex in the lateral 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 a small cuticular mound, but almost flat. Lateral ocelli oriented outward, a few degrees off perpendicular. Upper margin of clypeus convex, lower margin straight. Antennae pale basally fading quickly to brown. Broad black band extending straight over the medial carina of the frontal suture; lower region of frons dark brown with two pale lateral spots; vertex and juxta-ocular protuberances mostly brown; the area around ocelli pale, the lower region of clypeus, the mandibles, and the labrum are mostly brown. Palpi are pale.

Pronotum (Fig. 49J): Elongate with a moderately defined supra-coxal bulge; dorsal surface entirely smooth. Prozone with lateral margins that are near parallel, tapering anteriorly; the margins smooth. Metazone with concave lateral margins; margins with numerous small tubercles; posterior margin medially emarginate; the dorsal surface of the posterior half slightly depressed.

Prothoracic Legs: Femur elongate with a nearly straight dorsal margin; less defined pale to dark banding on posterior (external) surface, more brown on the ventral margin with strongly brown regions between posteroventral spines; 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 half the length as the posteroventral spines, originating well proximal to 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 are slightly longer. Prothoracic coxae smooth; the anterior surface with a broad, diagonal black band in the proximal half.

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, green, and pale coloration; the costal region with light to dark irregular banding. Forewings colored asymmetrically, one being mottled, the other is rust colored with the mottled pattern still visible. Hindwings with a red or rusty color in the discoidal region, darkening distally; the anal region a smoky grey and translucent; the terminus of the discoidal region projecting well beyond the distal margin of anal region, the wings appearing elongate.

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

Genital Complex (Fig. 52K.1): The main body of ventral left sclerite (L4A) with a bulging distal process (pda) positioned laterally (45 degrees from central axis) and projecting like a blunt knob. The apofisis falloid (afa) of the main body of dorsal left sclerite (L4B) broadly tapering to a short, sharp point that is well sclerotized and oriented approximately 25 degrees from the central axis; the apical process (paa) broad, cylindrical and curved, the terminus a tapered and rounded end. The right dorsal phallomere (fda) of the first sclerite of right phallomere (R1) tapers to a rounded terminus; the ventral plate (pia) strongly sclerotized, slightly widened proximally with curved grooves; the ventral process (pva) c-shaped, tapering to a point.

Female. (Fig. 29B) A single specimen is known, but has degraded due to poor preservation. Measurements are impossible, but some aspects of the description are possible and those included are presented in full as to not confuse character states that may or may not match with males.

Head: Frontal suture with a medial carina forming a continuous arc. Ocelli small and almost flat on the surface. Upper margin of clypeus convex, lower margin straight. Antennae pale basally fading quickly to brown. Palpi are pale.

Pronotum: Elongate with a moderately defined supra-coxal bulge. Metazone with concave lateral margins; margins with numerous small tubercles; posterior margin medially emarginate.

Prothoracic Legs: Femur with less defined pale to dark banding on posterior (external) surface, more brown on the ventral margin with strongly brown regions between posteroventral spines; anterior (internal) surface with a black band running medially from the base to terminus, a broad mark medially; the ventral surface pale. 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. Prothoracic tibial posteroventral spines with the first (proximal) smallest and the second through sixth of similar length, the second and third are slightly longer. Prothoracic coxae smooth; the anterior surface with a broad, diagonal black band in the proximal half.

Meso- and Metathoracic Legs: Mesotarsi absent, metatarsi with first segment much longer than remaining segments combined.

Wings: Forewings mottled with brown, green, and pale coloration.

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 projections in the distal half of the abdomen. Supra-anal plate slightly transverse, tapering to a rounded, emarginate terminus.

Etymology.

A noun in apposition, Liturgusa purus is named for Rio Purus, Brazil.