Myrmecopsis kenedyae Cock & Laguerre 2022, new combination
Creators: name: Cock, Matthew J. W.
name: Laguerre, Michel
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Erebidae
Myrmecopsis
Myrmecopsis kenedyae

description: Myrmecopsis kenedyae (Fleming, 1957), new combination
Figs. 17–20.
Fleming (1957) described Pseudosphex kenedyae from Trinidad, and the holotype can be seen at AMNH (2022c). The type series of 15 males and one female were collected at Heliotropium at Simla, Arima Valley. Our material was identified by comparison with two male paratypes in NHMUK. Fleming (1957) placed his new species in the genus Pseudosphex, without an explanation, but comparing it with P. laticincta, P. melanogen and P. deceptans all of which are now placed in Myrmecopsis (Simmons & Weller 2006).
We noted that P. kenedyae has Euchromiina hindwing venation and a subventral abdominal pouch, and is therefore likely to be a Myrmecopsis species misplaced in Pseudosphex. Examination of the male genitalia (Fig. 20) showed strong similarities with those of M. polistes as illustrated by Cerda (2008, Fig. 181), notably the short, truncate, laterally-flattened, down-turned uncus; the asymmetrical valves; each valve with of a chitinised, simple, dorsal projection, and a membraneous, simple, ventral projection; the stout, sinuous, flimsy aedeagus; and the large vesica with a double parallel row of large robust cornuti. The two are certainly congeneric, and we therefore transfer Pseudosphex kenedyae to the new combination Myrmecopsis kenedyae.
Material examined: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, Trinidad. 1♁ Arima Blanchisseuse Road, milestone 9.75, Textel Road, Eupatorium flowers, 11.x.1979 (M.J.W. Cock) [MJWC] (Fig. 17). 1♁ Arima Blanchisseuse Road, milestone 9.75, Textel Road, to Heliotropium, 30.i.1981 (M.J.W. Cock) [UWIZM CABI.5582]. 1♁ Arima Blanchisseuse Road, milestone 10.5, Textel Road, to Heliotropium, 3.xi.1980 (M.J.W. Cock) [UWIZM CABI.5581]. 1♁ (paratype) Arima [Valley], Simla, 23.ii.1954 [NHMUK]. 1♁ Arima [Valley], Simla, 1♁ 1954 [NHMUK]. 1♁ Arima Valley, Simla, to Heliotropium, 29.i.1981 (M.J.W. Cock) [UWIZM CABI.5583]. 1♁ Curepe, to Heliotropium, 8.xi.1980 (M.J.W. Cock) [UWIZM CABI.5573]. 1♁ Fort George, to Heliotropium, 8.viii.1981 (M.J.W. Cock) [UWIZM CABI.5577]. 2♁, 1♀ Lalaja Ridge, to Heliotropium, 6.v.1995 (M.J.W. Cock) [♁, 1♀ MJWC; ♁ UWIZM CABI.5574] (Fig. 18). 1♁ Lalaja South Road, milestone 2, to Heliotropium, 17.xi.1980 (M.J.W. Cock) [MJWC]. 2♁ Morne Bleu, Textel Installation, to Heliotropium, 9.x.1980 (M.J.W. Cock) [UWIZM CABI.5572, 5580]. 3♁ Morne Bleu, Textel Installation, to Heliotropium, 3.xi.1980 (M.J.W. Cock) [♁ MJWC; 2♁ UWIZM CABI.5578, 5579]. 1♁ Morne Bleu, Textel Installation, to Heliotropium, 20.i.1981 (M.J.W. Cock) [UWIZM CABI.5575]. 1♁ Morne Bleu, Textel Installation, to Heliotropium, 6.ii.1981 (M.J.W. Cock) [MJWC, dissection MJWC- 1158]. 1♁ Morne Bleu, Textel Installation, to Heliotropium, 9.viii.1981 (M.J.W. Cock) [UWIZM CABI.5576]. 1♁ Trinity Hills, main ridge, to Heliotropium, 4.iv.1982 (M.J.W. Cock) [MJWC].
description: Published as part of Cock, Matthew J. W. & Laguerre, Michel, 2022, Taxonomic changes in the Neotropical wasp moths, Euchromiina and Ctenuchina (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini) relating to the fauna of Trinidad & Tobago, with descriptions of new species, pp. 101-132 in Zootaxa 5222 (2) on page 113, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5222.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7456573