Liturgusa maya, Saussure & Zehntner, 1894 (Mantodea-Liturgusidae), una especie de mantis frecuente en cultivos de cacao en la región Tumbes, Perú

Abstract

Liturgusa Maya is a cryptic species that travels on cacao and citrus stems. The objective of this study was to determine some aspects of their biology and behavior and to identify ootheca parasitoids. Nymphs and adults were collected in the cocoa stems to obtain ootheques and determine the incubation period and the number of individuals per ootheca, ootheca were also collected to determine the presence of parasitoids. Incubation fluctuates between 15 and 17 days and individuals per ootheca between 23 and 37. The adult female stage measures an average of 25.30 mm in length and the male 20.38. Three species of parasitoids were recovered from the ootheques collected in the field: Podagrion sp., Eupelmus sp., and Horismenus sp., belonging to the families Torymidae, Eupelmidae and Eulophidae, the most important species belongs to the genus Horismenus. The present study seeks to establish the interactions that L. maya fulfills in the cacao agroecosystem and to define if its presence is related to the management of organic crops.