Liturgusa maya (Mantodea, Liturgusidae), the first record of an alien praying mantis in the Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its unique biodiversity, faces increasing threats from the introduction of invasive species, particularly insects. This study documents the first record of an alien praying mantis, Liturgusa maya Saussure & Zehntner, 18...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Pensoft Publishers
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Orthoptera Research |
| Online Access: | https://jor.pensoft.net/article/143096/download/pdf/ |
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| author | Julio Rivera Patricio Picón-Rentería Jose M. Avendaño Andrea C. Román Lenyn Betancourt-Cargua |
| author_facet | Julio Rivera Patricio Picón-Rentería Jose M. Avendaño Andrea C. Román Lenyn Betancourt-Cargua |
| author_sort | Julio Rivera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Galápagos Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its unique biodiversity, faces increasing threats from the introduction of invasive species, particularly insects. This study documents the first record of an alien praying mantis, Liturgusa maya Saussure & Zehntner, 1894 (Liturgusidae), introduced to the Galápagos Islands, marking it as the second mantodean species reported from the archipelago. Liturgusa maya was initially detected through citizen science observations on the iNaturalist platform and taxonomically confirmed through field collections. Its presence in urban and rural areas of Santa Cruz Island since at least 2017, coupled with the apparent parthenogenetic nature of the introduced population, suggests that L. maya became established rapidly following a likely human-mediated introduction. A diagnosis of the species and its ootheca is provided to facilitate in-field identification, its habitat within Santa Cruz Island is delineated, and the potential ecological impacts of this introduction are explored. Additionally, the checklist of Mantodea in the Galápagos is updated, and their distribution is mapped to reflect the new findings. This discovery emphasizes the vulnerability of the Galápagos to biological invasions driven by increased human activity, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and management efforts to protect the archipelago’s native and fragile ecosystems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-42c93ffff749459f91b36ad8a4bc0341 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1937-2426 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Pensoft Publishers |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Orthoptera Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-42c93ffff749459f91b36ad8a4bc03412025-08-20T02:55:25ZengPensoft PublishersJournal of Orthoptera Research1937-24262025-08-0134224925610.3897/jor.34.143096143096Liturgusa maya (Mantodea, Liturgusidae), the first record of an alien praying mantis in the Galápagos IslandsJulio Rivera0Patricio Picón-Rentería1Jose M. Avendaño2Andrea C. Román3Lenyn Betancourt-Cargua4Université de MontréalCharles Darwin Research StationMuseo de Entomología, Escuela Superior Politécnica de ChimborazoCharles Darwin Research StationCharles Darwin Research StationThe Galápagos Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its unique biodiversity, faces increasing threats from the introduction of invasive species, particularly insects. This study documents the first record of an alien praying mantis, Liturgusa maya Saussure & Zehntner, 1894 (Liturgusidae), introduced to the Galápagos Islands, marking it as the second mantodean species reported from the archipelago. Liturgusa maya was initially detected through citizen science observations on the iNaturalist platform and taxonomically confirmed through field collections. Its presence in urban and rural areas of Santa Cruz Island since at least 2017, coupled with the apparent parthenogenetic nature of the introduced population, suggests that L. maya became established rapidly following a likely human-mediated introduction. A diagnosis of the species and its ootheca is provided to facilitate in-field identification, its habitat within Santa Cruz Island is delineated, and the potential ecological impacts of this introduction are explored. Additionally, the checklist of Mantodea in the Galápagos is updated, and their distribution is mapped to reflect the new findings. This discovery emphasizes the vulnerability of the Galápagos to biological invasions driven by increased human activity, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and management efforts to protect the archipelago’s native and fragile ecosystems.https://jor.pensoft.net/article/143096/download/pdf/ |
| spellingShingle | Julio Rivera Patricio Picón-Rentería Jose M. Avendaño Andrea C. Román Lenyn Betancourt-Cargua Liturgusa maya (Mantodea, Liturgusidae), the first record of an alien praying mantis in the Galápagos Islands Journal of Orthoptera Research |
| title | Liturgusa maya (Mantodea, Liturgusidae), the first record of an alien praying mantis in the Galápagos Islands |
| title_full | Liturgusa maya (Mantodea, Liturgusidae), the first record of an alien praying mantis in the Galápagos Islands |
| title_fullStr | Liturgusa maya (Mantodea, Liturgusidae), the first record of an alien praying mantis in the Galápagos Islands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Liturgusa maya (Mantodea, Liturgusidae), the first record of an alien praying mantis in the Galápagos Islands |
| title_short | Liturgusa maya (Mantodea, Liturgusidae), the first record of an alien praying mantis in the Galápagos Islands |
| title_sort | liturgusa maya mantodea liturgusidae the first record of an alien praying mantis in the galapagos islands |
| url | https://jor.pensoft.net/article/143096/download/pdf/ |
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