Liturgusa maya, Saussure & Zehntner, 1894, Saussure & Zehntner, 1894

Nisip, Andrew J., Svenson, Gavin J., Fridie, Brian & Lucky, Andrea, 2019, A newly established non-native praying mantis species, Liturgusa maya (Mantodea: Liturgusidae) in Florida, USA, and a key to Florida mantis genera, Florida Entomologist 102 (1), pp. 147-153 : 151-152

Results

Several specimens of Liturgusa maya that were collected in Florida are now vouchered in praying mantis collections at the Department of Entomology at the National Museum of Natural History , Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, USA,and in the entomology collection at the Florida State Collection of Arthropods in Gainesville, Florida. Two adult specimens were pinned; nymphs were stored in 70% ethanol.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED

Liturgusa maya was collected 3 times, resulting in a total collection of 2 adult females, 12 nymphs, and 2 oothecae. Because the number of specimens examined are limited, the measurements should not be taken to represent the full morphological range of this species.

Collection data are listed for each date:

23 Sep 2015. USA, Florida, Broward County, Long Key Nature Center and Natural Area , 26.076700°E, 80.325100°N. Collected by Brian Fridie. One adult female (USNMENT01091960), 1 nymph (USNMENT01091961), both deposited at National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution .

1 Mar 2016. USA, Florida, Broward County, Long Key Nature Center and Natural Area , 26.076700°E, 80.325100°N. Collected by Andrew Nisip and Gabriel Somarriba. One adult female, 10 nymphs (2 first instar, 1 second instar, 4 fourth instar, 1 fifh instar, 1 pre-subadult, 1 subadult), and 2 oothecae deposited at Florida State Collection of Arthropods .

29 Dec 2016. USA, Florida, Broward County, Long Key Nature Center and Natural Area , 26.076700°E, 80.325100°N. Collected by Andrew Nisip and Gabriel Somarriba. One nymph (second instar) deposited at Florida State Collection of Arthropods .

MEASUREMENTS OF ADULT FEMALES

Adult female (collected 1 Mar 2016; deposited at Florida State Collection of Arthropods): Body length 25.04 mm; forewing length 15.23 mm; hindwing length 11.46 mm; pronotum length 6.81 mm; prozone length 2.79 mm; pronotum width 2.14 mm; pronotum narrow width 2.12 mm; head width 5.74 mm; head vertex to clypeus 2.37 mm; frons width 2.17 mm; frons height 0.76 mm; prothoracic femur length 6.99 mm; mesothoracic femur length 7.99 mm; metathoracic femur length 8.07 mm; anteroventral femoral spine count 15 to 16; posteroventral femoral spine count 4; anteroventral tibial spine count 9 to 10; posteroventral tibial spine count 7.

Adult female (collected 23 Sep 2015; USNMENT01091960): Body length 24.99 mm; forewing length 15.61 mm; hindwing length 11.88 mm; pronotum length 6.78 mm; prozonelength 2.05 mm; pronotum width 2.70 mm; pronotum narrow width 2.06; mm head width 5.69 mm; head vertex to clypeus 2.35 mm; frons width 2.09 mm; frons height 0.82 mm; prothoracic femur length 6.68 mm; mesothoracic femur length 7.85 mm; metathoracic femur length 7.98 mm; anteroventral femoral spine count 15 to 16; posteroventral femoral spine count 4; anteroventral tibial spine count 10; posteroventral tibial spine count 7.

SPECIMEN CARE AND OBSERVATION

All specimens were captured alive and observed in captivity. All individuals fared well in captivity, although the initial adjustment to the enclosures was faster in younger nymphs. Adults and older nymphs took longer to become accustomed to the boundaries of the clear plastic enclosure wall. This was inferred by consistent eye rubbing and regular raptorial flicking against enclosure siding.

Mating was never witnessed in captivity; all adult specimens were female. One of the wild-caught adult females produced 3 oothecae, 2 of which hatched. Nymphs that hatched in captivity failed to feed successfully and died within 4 d of hatching. A wild caught sub-adult female later molted to adult and laid 5 oothecae, but all were deformed and no hatchlings emerged from them.

KEY TO FLORIDA MANTIS GENERA USING ADULT MALES AND FEMALES

1.— Body length equal to or smaller than 2.0 cm. Pronotum length nearly equal to width.......................... Mantoida ( Fig. 3A )

1.’— Body length longer than 2.0 cm. Pronotum longer than wide............................................................. 2

2.— Body dorsoventrally flattened with long laterally swept legs. Body and wings mottled for camouflage; bark dwelling............... 3

2.’— Body elongated. Can be cylindrical and delicate or broader and more robust................................................ 4

3.— Discoidal spines arranged in a zigzag pattern. Rounded supra-anal plate covering the ovipositor and tapering cerci. No cuticular outgrowths on abdomen of female....................................................................... Liturgusa ( Fig. 3F )

3.’— Discoidal spines arranged in a straight line. Triangular supra-anal plate does not cover the ovipositor and the cerci do not taper to the last segment. Females with lateral cuticular outgrowths on the abdomen.................................... Gonatista ( Fig. 3E )

4.— Cyclopean ear present in males, present or partially reduced in females (present between metathoracic coxa on sternum). Robust body. Wings in females reduced, but never absent........................................................ Stagmomantis ( Fig. 3H )

4.’— Cyclopean ear absent in males and females (present between metathoracic coxa on sternum). Wings absent or highly reduced in females........................................................................................................... 5

5.— Foretibiae with dorsally oriented terminal spine. Forefemora with 1 posteroventral spine..................... Thesprotia ( Fig. 3D )

5.’— Foretibiae without dorsally oriented terminal spine. Forefemora with 4 or 5 posteroventral spines.............................. 6

6.— Antenna uniformly threadlike, not narrowing from base to tip. Forefemora with 4 discoidal spines and 4 posteroventral spines........................................................................................................ Oligonicella ( Fig. 3C )

6.’— Proximal antennal flagellomeres swollen, narrowing significantly from base to tip. Forefemora with 3 discoidal spines and 5 posteroventral spines........................................................................................ Brunneria ( Fig. 3B )

Figures

Fig. 3. Praying mantis genera in Florida: (A) Mantoida maya female (photograph by Cheryl Harleston (www.inaturalist.org, CC BY-NC-SA); (B) Brunneria borealis female (photograph by Gary L. Dearman); (C) Oligonicella scudderi female (photograph by Jennifer Thompson); (D) Thesprotia graminis female (photograph by Sturgis McKeever, Georgia Southern University (www.Bugwood.org, CC-BY-NC); (E) Gonatista grisea female (photograph by Scott D. Nelson); (F) Liturgusa maya female (photograph by Brian Fridie Jr.); (G) Stagmomantis carolina female (photograph by Wendy Garfinkel-Gold);(H) Stagmomantis floridensis female (photograph by Andrew Nisip).