Fuga grimaldii, 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 : 125-128

Fuga grimaldii sp. n.

Type.

Holotype Male, pinned. American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA.

Type locality.

Brazil: Corupa S. Cath. (Hansa Humbolt), Feb. 1949, A. Maller Coll., Frank Johnson Donor (Lat. -26.425027, Long. -49.247112).

Material examined.

Fuga grimaldii sp. n.

Diagnosis.

Small species with a strongly defined darkened band running diagonally across the medial section of the forewing; forewings can be asymmetrically colored, one being darker than the other.

Description.

Male. (Fig. 34A) N=2: Body length 20.42-22.11 (21.26); forewing length 14.12-15.41 (14.77); hindwing length 10.58; pronotum length 5.33-5.61 (5.47); prozone length 1.76-1.79 (1.77); pronotum width 2.14-2.20 (2.17); pronotum narrow width 1.75-1.87 (1.81); head width 4.36-4.62 (4.49); head vertex to clypeus 1.67-1.68 (1.68); frons width 1.50-1.56 (1.53); frons height 0.54-0.56 (0.55); prothoracic femur length 5.51-5.90 (5.70); mesothoracic femur length 7.26-7.31 (7.29); mesothoracic tibia length 5.89-6.22 (6.05); mesothoracic tarsus length 5.90-6.03 (5.97); metathoracic femur length 7.39; metathoracic tibia length 8.35; metathoracic tarsus length 9.11; pronotal elongation measure 0.32-0.33 (0.33); pronotal shape measure 0.39-0.40 (0.40); head shape measure 0.36-0.38 (0.37); frons shape measure 0.35-0.37 (0.36); anteroventral femoral spine count 15-16 (16); anteroventral tibial spine count 9; posteroventral tibial spine count 8.

Head (Fig. 46A): Juxta-ocular protuberances pronounced, the apex in the middle; the vertex between the parietal sutures is straight; vertex slightly lower than the dorsal margin of the eyes. Frontal suture with a curved carina forming a continuous arc. Ocelli small with the central ocellus oriented anteriorly while the lateral are oriented slightly off 90 degrees from the central axis of the head; protruding slightly on cuticular mounds. 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 slightly convex, lower margin slightly concave; a central protruding carina strongly defined; the lateral margins tapering, widest at the upper margin. Antennae pale proximally and fading to black distally. Varying levels of black markings across the anterior surface of head, variable within the species; the vertex and juxta-ocular protuberances dark brown. Palpi are pale.

Pronotum (Fig. 50E): Slightly elongate with a slightly defined supra-coxal bulge; dorsal surface smooth, but a few tubercles are present; prozone with parallel lateral margins prior to a rounded anterior margin; metazone with concave lateral margins, exhibiting small denticles in the posterior half; posterior margin of the metazone rounded and without a medial emargination; the dorsal surface of the posterior third of the metazone slightly depressed. Supra-coxal sulcus strongly defined. The lateral margins of the pronotum slightly expanded to form a small ledge. Colored with black and pale markings that vary across specimens.

Prothoracic Legs: Femur robust with a straight dorsal margin; anteroventral spines black, posteroventral spines pale basally with black terminus. Pale to dark banding on posterior (outer) surface of femur with less than 10 tubercles; anterior (inner) surface black; ventral surface black. Well developed femoral pit on the ventral surface to accommodate terminal posteroventral tibial spine positioned medial to and slightly proximal to the most proximal posteroventral spine; pit is black. Posterior prothoracic femoral genicular spine slightly smaller than posteroventral spines, originating distal to the genicular lobe. Prothoracic posteroventral tibial spines with the first and second most proximal and fifth through seventh shorter than the proximal third, fourth and terminal spines; the anteroventral spines longest at distal end and shortening proximally, but the sixth and seventh from the distal end longer than adjacent spines. Posterior surface of the prothoracic tibiae smooth and banded, but dark brown; anterior surface black; the ventral surface amber. Prothoracic coxae smooth with varying black markings on the posterior and ventral surface, the anterior surface with a proximal and a distal black marking.

Meso- and Metathoracic Legs: Femora with pronounced dorsal and ventral carinae. Mesotarsi with first segment as long as the remaining segments combined. Metatarsi with first segment longer than remaining segments combined.

Wings: Fully developed, the same length or slightly longer than the abdomen. Forewings mottled with contrasting regions of brown, white, and black; the costal region alternating regularly from pale to dark its entire length; the costal region slightly widened. The forewings may be colored asymmetrically, one being mottled as described above while the other is much darker and usually folded under the other. Hindwings opaque and smoky with near black veins; the costal region and the anterior margin of the discoidal region pigmented with a reddish or rust coloration; the terminus of the discoidal region projecting well beyond the distal margin of anal region, giving an elongate appearance.

Abdomen: Elongate, tubular, and smooth. Tergites with very small posterolateral projections in the distal half of the abdomen. Supra-anal plate transverse, evenly rounded. Subgenital plate rounded and without styli.

Genital Complex (Fig. 53C.1): The main body of ventral left sclerite (L4A) with a prominent, robust, curved distal process (pda) that tapers to a point, the entire structure curving laterally and back onto the L4A. The apofisis falloid (afa) of the main body of dorsal left sclerite (L4B) well sclerotized with a blunt, rounded terminus, the tip broader than medial region; the apical process (paa) cylindrical and curved, terminating in a rounded end; a large, bifid and membranous lobe originating between the apofisis falloid (afa) and the apical process (paa), with robust setae along a lateral margin as well as emerging from the terminus of each sub-lobe. 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, terminating with a rounded, blunt end.

Female. (Fig. 34B) N=4: Body length 21.94-26.39 (24.88); forewing length 15.73-17.04 (16.55); hindwing length 12.08-13.56 (13.00); pronotum length 7.02-7.36 (7.19); prozone length 2.32-2.40 (2.36); pronotum width 2.64-2.73 (2.68); pronotum narrow width 2.07-2.15 (2.11); head width 5.47-5.93 (5.75); head vertex to clypeus 2.14-2.26 (2.20); frons width 1.89-2.04 (1.98); frons height 0.71-0.80 (0.74); prothoracic femur length 7.47-7.79 (7.64); mesothoracic femur length 8.46-9.60 (9.17); mesothoracic tibia length 6.97-7.69 (7.40); mesothoracic tarsus length 6.88-7.26 (7.07); metathoracic femur length 8.76-9.47 (9.05); metathoracic tibia length 9.76-10.90 (10.31); metathoracic tarsus length 10.77-11.55 (11.16); pronotal elongation measure 0.32-0.34 (0.33); pronotal shape measure 0.36-0.38 (0.37); head shape measure 0.37-0.41 (0.38); frons shape measure 0.35-0.40 (0.37); anteroventral femoral spine count 14-16 (16); anteroventral tibial spine count 9; posteroventral tibial spine count 8.

Head (Fig. 46B): Vertex slightly above the dorsal margin of the eyes.

Pronotum (Fig. 50F): Metazone with concave lateral margins, exhibiting small denticles in the posterior two thirds; the dorsal surface of the posterior half of the metazone depressed.

Prothoracic Legs: Femur robust with a slightly concave dorsal margin distally, convex proximally; line of larger, pointed tubercles running medially of the posteroventral spines. Anterior (inner) surface of femur pale with proximal and dorso-distal black markings; ventral surface pale; femoral pit pale. Posterior prothoracic femoral genicular spine slightly smaller than posteroventral spines, originating just proximal to the genicular lobe. Posterior surface of the prothoracic tibiae smooth and banded; anterior surface mostly pale, the ventral surface pale. Prothoracic coxae smooth with varying black markings on the posterior and ventral surface, the anterior surface with a nearly continuous medial black marking running the entire length.

Meso- and Metathoracic Legs: Tibiae with a prominent ventral carina.

Wings: The forewings rarely colored asymmetrically, if so then one being mottled while the other is much darker. Hindwings opaque and smoky with near black veins; the costal region and the anterior margin of the discoidal region more pale than the rest; the terminus of the discoidal region projecting well beyond the distal margin of anal region, giving an elongate appearance.

Abdomen: Broad and smooth, widening from first segment until the beginning of the distal half (segments 4-5) when the lateral margins narrow gradually to the terminus, the middle being the broadest region. Tergites without posterolateral projections. Supra-anal plate as wide as long, tapering to a rounded point.

Etymology.

A noun in the genitive case, Liturgusa grimaldii is named for David Grimaldi, whose work on fossil Mantodea added considerable knowledge to our understanding of the origins and evolution of the group.