Hora's (1921: 739)
diagnosis of the newly erected genus Laguvia mentions, among other characters, that "the
skin covering the belly is corrugated, suggesting an adherent function." However, he
(1921: 742) distinguished L. shawi from L. ribeiroi by the absence of a thoracic adhesive
apparatus in the former and its presence in the latter. Hora (1921: 742) described this apparatus
in L. ribeiroi as "oblique grooves and ridges which form a V-shaped adhesive apparatus
similar to that found in the genus Glyptothorax but not so well-developed" and Hora
(1922: fig. 7a) figured well developed skin folds on the thorax of Laguvia sp.