Litaneutria pacifica Scudder, 1896

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Kris Anderson

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Litaneutria pacifica Scudder, 1896 species treatment completed

Scudder’s type specimen(s) for L. pacifica have unfortunately been lost. Nevertheless, ground mantises that are collected at and around the vicinity of the L. pacifica type locality in northern California consistently demonstrate divergent characteristics apart from L. minor. It addition to the male hindwing maculation differences, L. pacifica females have a flattened vertex, the apex of which is level with the compound eyes, whereas L. minor females have a slightly arched vertex that is raised above the compound eyes.  More importantly, the distribution ranges of the two species do not overlap, as there is a massive geographical barrier of the Rocky Mountains separating them with neither species occurring in the high desert or alpine terrain between their respective Pacific Coast and Great Plains populations. 

“Praying Mantises of the United States and Canada”

https://www.researchgate.net/project/Praying-Mantises-of-the-United-States-and-Canada

 
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