Mantis

Liturgusa maya is a species of praying mantis in the family Liturgusidae.

Male. (Figs 13A, 14A) N=18: Body length 19.38–25.46 (22.43); forewing length 13.16–16.56 (14.87); hindwing length 10.69–13.58 (12.28); pronotum length 5.61–7.39 (6.30); prozone length 1.68–2.36 (1.95); pronotum width 2.11–2.99 (2.44); pronotum narrow width 1.57–2.14 (1.77); head width 4.46–6.34 (4.99); head vertex to clypeus 1.79–2.67 (1.98); frons width 1.61–2.39 (1.80); frons height 0.61–0.93 (0.71); prothoracic femur length 5.40–7.42 (6.25); mesothoracic femur length 3.32–8.28 (7.34); mesothoracic tibia length 5.22–7.36 (6.10); mesothoracic tarsus length 4.58–8.07 (5.55); metathoracic femur length 6.61–9.26 (7.86); metathoracic tibia length 7.35–10.45 (8.69); metathoracic tarsus length 6.70–8.69 (7.74); pronotal elongation measure 0.30–0.33 (0.31); pronotal shape measure 0.37–0.41 (0.39); head shape measure 0.37–0.42 (0.40); frons shape measure 0.36–0.42 (0.39); anteroventral femoral spine count 14–16 (15); anteroventral tibial spine count 9–11 (10); posteroventral tibial spine count 7. Head (Fig. 42A): Transverse, the juxta-ocular protuberances small, but pronounced, the apex just lateral to the midline; the vertex is straight, but sometimes dips just prior to the parietal sutures, even with the dorsal margin of the eyes. Frontal suture with a slight medial carina forming a continuous arc, the entire carina depressed into the head. Ocelli small, the central more enlarged (about twice the size as the lateral), all protruding on small cuticular mounds; the lateral ocelli oriented outward. The carina on the frons not very pronounced, the medial region just ventral to the carina depressed. Clypeus transverse, the upper margin slightly convex, the lower margin slightly concave or straight; the central, transverse carina pronounced and straight. Antennae scape and pedicel pale, the flagellum black just slightly distal to the base. Black band extending straight over the medial carina of the frontal suture, the very center of the carina pale; black markings extend ventrally and dorsally from black band; two prominent pale marks positioned just lateral to the lateral ocelli; two pale marks positioned on the lower region of the vertex. Lower region of frons darkly pigmented; the dorsal half of clypeus darkly pigmented, the ventral half pale; the mandibles and labrum with pale and brown markings; the vertex and juxta-ocular protuberances mostly black with pale speckles; the area immediately adjacent to lateral ocelli black. Palpi are pale. Pronotum (Fig. 47Q): About three times long as wide with a moderately defined supra-coxal bulge; dorsal surface entirely smooth. Prozone square with slightly convex margins that gradually taper to an evenly rounded anterior margin; margins smooth or with very few blunt tubercles. Metazone with concave lateral margins without interruptions or bulges; margins with small tubercles; posterior margin with a medial emargination; the dorsal surface of the posterior third of the metazone slightly depressed. Mostly dark with pale and black marking across the surface, faint swirls present on the metazone just posterior to the supra-coxal sulcus. Prothoracic Legs: Femur robust 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 that may be interrupted, various black marks present in addition to the band that correspond to banding marks on the posterior surface; the ventral surface pale. Posterior surface of femur with few tubercles. A femoral pit to accommodate terminal posteroventral tibial spine positioned medial to and exactly between the first two proximal posteroventral spines, in line with the most distal discoidal spine; pit is pigmented darkly. Posterior prothoracic femoral genicular spine smaller than posteroventral spines (highly variable), originating distal to the beginning of the genicular lobe. Prothoracic tibial posteroventral spines with the first (proximal) smallest and the third through sixth of similar length, the second slightly longer. Prothoracic coxae smooth, the anterior surface with a very small, black mark medially in the proximal half as well as a very small black spot medially towards the distal terminus. Meso- and Metathoracic Legs: Femora with ventral (posterior) carina; dorsal (anterior) carina present. Mesotarsi with first segment as long or slightly longer than the remaining segments combined. Wings: Forewings mottled with brown, pale and greenish coloration; the costal region with defined banding, green and brown alternating markings, the brown marks smaller; vein coloration mostly corresponding with surrounding colors; two pale spots are positioned in the proximal quarter of the discoidal region just posterior to the first radial vein; a large pale area is positioned centrally. Forewings often, but not always asymmetrically colored; one being mottled as described the other is darkened significantly with a black or rust tone, the mottled pattern still visible; extending just beyond or as long as the abdomen. Hindwings with opaque discoidal region, colored rust proximally and along the anterior margin, otherwise black; the anal region smoky black and translucent; the terminus of the discoidal region projecting beyond the distal margin of anal region, the wing appearing elongate. Abdomen: Slightly widened in the middle, the fourth tergite the widest region before a gradual posterior narrowing; a smooth, brown and black colored dorsal surface. Tergites without posterolateral tergal projections. Supra-anal plate slightly transverse, a broadly rounded terminus. Subgenital plate irregularly rounded and without styli. Genital Complex (Fig. 51I.1–I.4): The main body of ventral left sclerite (L4A) with rounded terminus, but with a distal process (pda) positioned just lateral to the midline that is rounded (could be short and rather blunt or more elongate and narrow), projecting at an angle, appearing like a small, well-sclerotized tooth; sometimes a depression on the opposite lateral half from the pda is present. The apofisis falloid (afa) of the main body of dorsal left sclerite (L4B) short, quickly narrowing to a sharp point, sometimes curved and sometimes with a rough surface; the apical process (paa) elongate and thin, the terminus an evenly 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, broad proximally with strongly defined grooves; the ventral process (pva) tooth-like and curved at the proximal base, the distal tip narrowing with a rapid constriction towards the end.