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, 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.