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ABSTRACT
An illustrated and annotated catalogue is presented of 28 genera and 61 species of Euchromiina (Erebidae, Arctiinae,
Arctiini) conrmed to occur in Trinidad and seven species in Tobago. Of these, nine are new records for Trinidad. Im-
ages of 34 species of living adults are included. Very little has been recorded regarding food plants and early stages of
Euchromiina in Trinidad, but what is known is reported. A supplementary appendix includes all records from Trinidad &
Tobago, and gures showing details of the body and male genitalia for selected species.
Key words: food plants, distribution, checklist, inventory, new records, DNA barcodes, iNaturalist
Euchromiina wasp moths (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini) of
Trinidad & Tobago
1.CABI, Bakeham Lane, Egham, Surrey TW20 9TY, UK.
m.cock@cabi.org / mjwcock@btinternet.com
2. 31, rue de la Haute-Lande, 33850 Léognan, France
mlaguerre@wanadoo.fr
Matthew J.W. Cock1 and Michel Laguerre2
INTRODUCTION
Trinidad and Tobago are two small islands o the north-
east coast of South America with a combined land area of
about 5100 km2 and maximum elevation slightly below
1000 m. Together with some very small associated islands,
they make up the country Trinidad & Tobago. As continen-
tal islands, they have a biota that is a subset of that of the
nearby South American mainland. The fauna of Trinidad
is by far the better known of the two, and Tobago being
further from the South American mainland has a biota that is
largely a subset of that of Trinidad (Starr 2009, Cock 2021).
We consider the term ‘wasp moths’ to cover two closely-
related subtribes Euchromiina and Ctenuchina of the tribe
Arctiini, subfamily Arctiinae, family Erebidae. In the last
20 years, regional lists of Euchromiina and Ctenuchina have
started to appear (e.g. Piñas and Manzano 2003, Hernández-
Baz and Grados 2004, Hernández-Baz and Bailey 2006,
Hernández-Baz et al. 2013, Hernández-Baz et al. 2017),
and it seems likely that these two subfamilies will be
useful agship groups for the assessment and monitoring
of biodiversity. Wasp moths are small to medium sized
moths (Figs. 1–2), often brightly coloured, and many having
transparent areas on the wings. Most (but not all) have a
general wasp-like appearance (Figs. 1–2), and may move
and y in a wasp-like way. Many species are thought to be
distasteful and they mimic each other as well as stinging
wasps, distasteful beetles, etc. Sexual dimorphism is
usually, but not always, slight; some cases of strong sexual
dimorphism have led to the two sexes being described
as separate species, which may only recently have been
detected. It is becoming apparent that some species are
polymorphic – the dierent morphs often having been
described as separate species. Phoenicoprocta vacillans
below is a striking example of strong sexual dimorphism,
combined with substantial continuous variability in the male
and polymorphism in the female (Fleming 1957).
There is no recent catalogue of Euchromiina or
Ctenuchina. The most recent comprehensive treatments
were Hampson’s (1898, 1914) review of the collection in the
Natural History Museum, London (NHMUK) and Draudt’s
(1915–1917) treatment in Seitz’ Macrolepidoptera of the
World, both more than 100 years ago. In the introductory
remarks to the family, Seitz (1915) indicated that more than
2000 species of Syntomidae (i.e. Syntomini, Euchromiina
and Ctenuchina) were known, of which 1800 were American,
all belonging to the Euchromiina and Ctenuchina. However,
documentation and voucher material of these two tribes
from Trinidad & Tobago are relatively rich. The subtribe
has been documented alongside other Trinidad moths in a
preliminary catalogue (Kaye 1901), a catalogue (Kaye and
Lamont 1927) and additions (Lamont and Callan 1950),
including 12, 39 and 42 Euchromiina respectively. Some
of W.J. Kaye’s material of Euchromiina was deposited in
the NHMUK, but his collection was acquired by the Allyn
Museum of Entomology, Sarasota, Florida, which is now
integrated into the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and
Biodiversity, Gainesville (MGCL). Sir Norman Lamont’s
collection is divided between The National Museums of
Scotland, Edinburgh (NMS) and the University of the West
Indies Zoology Museum, St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago
(UWIZM). Based on the locality and date information in
Kaye and Lamont (1927) compared to actual specimens
in these two collections, specimens of Lamont’s material
collected before 1915 were all collected at Palmiste but
incorporated into his collection with no data labels.
In the 1950s, William Beebe and colleagues Henry
Fleming and Rosemarie Kenedy worked inter alia on
2Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 1. Trinidad & Tobago Euchromiina 1, genera A–L. Life size; all images appear enlarged in the species accounts below, together
with any photo credits. Note Cosmosoma hypocheilus (Fig. 27) is not included here.
3
Fig. 2. Trinidad & Tobago Euchromiina 2, genera M–X. Life size; all images appear enlarged in the species accounts below, together
with applicable photo credits.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
4Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Euchromiina and Ctenuchina at Simla, the tropical eld
station of the New York Zoological Society (NYZS) in
the Arima Valley. Based on this, Fleming (1957, 1959)
monographed the two subtribes for Trinidad, which pro-
vided a valuable start for our work, and included 52 spe-
cies of Euchromiina. Fleming (1957, 1959) refers to their
material deposited in the Department of Tropical Research,
NYZC. Holotypes and some paratypes were depos-
ited in The American Museum of Natural History, New
York (AMNH), and some paratypes in NHMUK, but the
remainder stayed with NYZC. The NYZS (now Wildlife
Conservation Society) collections were subsequently trans-
ferred to AMNH, although some duplicates went to the
National Museum of Natural History, Washington (USNM)
(S. Miller pers. comm.). We have not examined Fleming’s
material, and in the following refer to Fleming’s material
from NYZS as in AMNH without allowing for some being
in USNM.
This earlier work included several examples of sexu-
ally dimorphic or polymorphic species being counted
more than once, although Fleming (1957) claried most
of these. Building on this earlier work, we now treat 61
species from Trinidad, and seven from Tobago. Of these,
nine are newly recorded from Trinidad. This is based on
examination of historical collections (NHMUK, USNM,
NMS and UWIZM) and the collection of the rst author
(MJWC) (Cock 2003), which is divided between his collec-
tion (MJWC), UWIZM and NHMUK. At this time, three
species of Trinidad Euchromiina are known from single
records, and another three from just two records. Given
a total of 61 species now known, this suggests that more
species are yet to be recorded, although perhaps not a great
many more.
Cock (2017) recorded six species of Euchromiina from
Tobago, and Cock and Laguerre (2022) add one further
species. Remarkably, two of the seven Tobago species,
Cosmosoma gemmata (Butler, 1876) and Pheia utica
(Druce, 1889), have not as yet been recorded from Trinidad
(29%). In contrast, Cock (2017) noted that 17 out of 355
total moth species (4.7%) recorded from Tobago were spe-
cies not known from Trinidad. These numbers are now 15
out of 466 (3.2%) (Cock et al. 2022, M.J.W. Cock unpub-
lished data). Here we treat the subtribe Euchromiina from
Trinidad & Tobago, and will address the Ctenuchina in a
follow-on publication.
Classication
In the past, the two subtribes Euchromiina and
Ctenuchina have been variously treated as part of the fami-
lies Syntomidae (now Syntomini a separate and distantly
related Old World tribe of Arctiinae), and as Euchromiidae
or Ctenuchidae. The present arrangement follows Zahiri
et al.’s (2011) phylogeny of the Erebidae, and is supported
by the recent study by Dowdy et al. (2020), who consider
Euchromiina and Ctenuchina as valid sister sub-tribes
within Arctiini.
Although Hampson (1898) recognized that what we now
refer to as Euchromiina and Ctenuchina were separated by
their hindwing venation, Forbes (1939) seems to have been
the rst to separate them as named groups: Euchromiinae
and Ctenuchinae, which he treated as subfamilies of
Euchromiidae. He states that ‘In the Euchromiinae M2 of
the hind wing is rudimentary or absent, being represented
by a faint vein or line of scales from the angle of the disco-
cellular, and Cu1 and Cu2 are stalked or united; while in
the Ctenuchinae M2 is fully developed and curved, arising
from below the angle of the discocellulars, and Cu1 and
Cu2 are widely separated except in the Horama group. A
few aberrant genera also have M2 obsolescent from the
angle but Cu2 well separated.’ Fleming (1957, 1959)
treated the two subtribes as subfamilies, Euchromiinae and
Ctenuchinae, of Ctenuchidae, stating ‘The absence of vein
Sc in the hindwing separates the Euchromiinae from other
families of Trinidad moths. In this subfamily vein M2 of the
hindwing is rudimentary or absent but often represented by
a vein·like line of scales. Whereas in the subsequent subfam-
ily, Ctenuchinae, vein M2 of the hindwing is present. Veins
CUl and CU2 are stalked or united in the Euchromiinae, but
in the Ctenuchinae. with the exception of the Horama and
related genera, they are widely separated.’ (Fleming 1957).
Within the Trinidad fauna, the two subfamilies are
confusingly similar. Some distinctive genera and habitus
types (external appearance) are restricted to one or other,
but others are not so easily allocated on sight. Calonotos,
Cosmosoma, Histioea, and the polybiine wasp mimics are
examples of distinctive Euchromiina genera, and Agyrta,
Aclytia, Episcepsis, and Eucereon are examples of distinc-
tive Ctenuchina genera. Other forms such as genera with
transparent wing areas, species with all metallic or black
wings, and yellow banded lycid beetle mimics occur in
both subtribes. In practice, familiarity with both subtribes
obviates the need to classify them by subtribe before iden-
tication to genus or species. Where it would be easy to
confuse a Euchromiina species with a supercially similar
Ctenuchina species, we have included diagnostic features
to separate them.
Biology and collecting
Adult Euchromiina may y by day or night, or both.
Those that are in mimicry groups with wasps and other diur-
nal species, may be predominantly day-ying. Euchromiina
have a functioning proboscis, and several species have
been observed feeding at owers such as eupatorium
(Chromolaena odorata and Austroeupatorium inulaefolium)
5
and black sage (Varronia curassavica) by day. Adults prob-
ably also feed at owers by night, but this has not been
documented.
Many Euchromiina, along with many Ctenuchina, some
Phaegopterini and Pericopini (Arctiinae) and the butter-
y tribes Danaini and Ithomiini (Nymphalidae, Danainae)
are attracted by pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which they
imbibe and sequester for use as a chemical defence against
predation and as precursors for synthesis of mating phero-
mones (Pliske 1975, Nishida 2002). Pyrrolizidine alkaloids
are found in a wide variety of plants, including Heliotropium
and some other Boraginaceae, Eupatoriae (Asteraceae),
and several other families. Beebe (1955) described how
Heliotropium indicum L. (Boraginaceae) can be hung up
to dry and over ten days or so would attract these groups
of butteries and moths (e.g. Fig. 93). MJWC used this
method widely in Trinidad to collect Euchromiina and
Ctenuchina. Those species which y by night are read-
ily attracted to lights, particularly those with a strong ultra
violet component which can be used for collecting (MVL
– mercury vapour light and BLT – black light trap).
Beebe and Kenedy (1957) reported their behavioural
observations on 13 species of ‘Ctenuchidae’ of which ve
are Euchromiina and eight Ctenuchina. Almost nothing has
been recorded regarding the life histories and food plants of
the Trinidad & Tobago species, and little elsewhere, so that
the only substantive information source is the Janzen and
Hallwachs (2022) database of Costa Rican rearing.
Eectively almost all collecting of Euchromiina (and
Ctenuchina) in Trinidad has been based on one of these three
attractants: light (especially UV light), PAs (particularly
as drying Heliotropium indicum, referred to as heliotrope
hereafter in the text) and owers (particularly eupatorium
and black sage). Any species that is not attracted to one
of these three is likely to have been rarely collected; the
large day-ying wasp mimic Isanthrene tryhanei may be
such a case. The practice of night walks (Deo et al. 2021)
is starting to generate records of Euchromiina, and it will
be interesting to see if this leads to observations of newly
recorded or rarely seen species.
Nomenclature
Noting that there is no recent catalogue of Euchromiina
or Ctenuchina, for nomenclature we have depended on
Cerda’s (2008) work on the Euchromiina of French Guiana
and LepIndex, the on-line database of the old NHMUK card
index (Beccaloni et al. 2003). The later must be used with
caution as on the one hand it is now out of date, and on the
other it includes many unpublished new combinations used
by the curators of the collection. Accordingly, we have
made every eort not to use unpublished new combinations
by checking back to Hampson (1898, 1914) and reviewing
subsequent literature, e.g. Fleming (1957), to locate where
name changes have been made.
Identication
When working with pinned specimens in good condition,
almost all of the Trinidad species can be identied by careful
examination and comparison with the images provided here,
although some, in particular Macrocneme spp., may still
require examination of the genitalia or DNA barcoding.
Figs. 1–2 show all species life size for initial identication,
but this should be followed up by comparison with the
enlarged images under each species account. Diagnostic
features are pointed out in the text which should help
separate similar species. Many naturalists are now taking
photographs rather than specimens in support of their
observations. With experience, images of living moths can
also be readily identied, and we have included such images
as available to facilitate this. In the case of Euchromiina, the
best diagnostic features are often on the dorsal surface of the
forewing, but characters of the hindwing, body and legs are
also often helpful. For some species, multiple views of the
body and legs are included in a supplementary Appendix.
The terminalia comprise the genitalia and associated
sternite and tergite of abdominal segment 8 (A8). They
require dissection to see the full structure, but sometimes
diagnostic features, particularly the apex of the valves can be
examined by carefully brushing o the scales of the ventral
abdomen tip. The male and female genitalia structures often
provide good diagnostic features to distinguish species that
otherwise have a similar external appearance (habitus).
We include gures of 17 Euchromiina dissections in a
supplementary Appendix, which demonstrate characters
used to help dene species treated. Ideally, such gures
would have been compared with those of type specimens,
but most Euchromiina types have not been dissected and
for those that have, few good gures are currently available.
There is not a great deal of individual variation in most
species of Euchromiina found in Trinidad, but examples
have been illustrated in a few cases, e.g. Autochloris
almon (Figs. 3–4), while a small number are polymorphic,
e.g. Phoenicoprocta vacillans (Figs. 101–102). Sexual
dimorphism may be restricted to the female being slightly
larger, with less strongly pectinated antennae, but can be
marked or extreme, e.g. P. vacillans.
DNA barcoding based on sequences of a dened section
of the CO1 mitochondrial gene (Hebert et al. 2003) provides
a tool that can be used to help clarify the status of dierent
populations of taxa in the future, based on the increasing
numbers of publicly available DNA barcodes in BOLD
(Barcode of Life Database, http://www.boldsystems.org/)
and GenBank (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank).
Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) have been introduced
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
6Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
to provide a permanent numbering system for barcode
clusters normally separated from others by at least 2%
base pairs substituted, which in a high percentage of cases
correspond to known taxonomic species and can also help
ag species complexes or clusters needing taxonomic
research (Ratnasingham and Hebert 2013, Miller et al.
2016). MJWC checked all Trinidad genera of Euchromiina
against BOLD in January 2020 and constructed BOLD
TaxonID Trees using public DNA barcodes in BOLD
and the standard BOLD function for the genera thus far
recognized from Trinidad. In most cases, there were very
few DNA barcodes from South America, but often a large
sample from Costa Rica based on the work of Dan Janzen
and Winnie Hallwachs’ inventory programme (Janzen and
Hallwachs 2022). It was quite common to nd that one
phenotypic species in Costa Rica comprised more than one
BIN in BOLD, and when DNA barcodes were available
from South America, they did not necessarily match those
from Costa Rica and appeared as dierent BINs. This is an
indication of changes that are coming to our understanding
of the Neotropical moths and the names which should be
applied. However, a signicant number of the Euchromiina
recorded from Trinidad were described from the island, and
others were described from the Guianas or Venezuela, both
of which have a high anity with the Trinidad Lepidoptera
fauna (e.g. Cock and Robbins 2016), and so these names are
likely to be reliable for Trinidad. On the other hand, many
Euchromiina recorded from Trinidad, but described from
further south, e.g. southern Brazil or from Central America
could well prove to be part of a species complex, for
which the current name will not be applied to the Trinidad
population in the future. The BOLD database does not have
adequate coverage yet to resolve these questions, so there
would be value to building up a library of DNA barcodes
for the Trinidad & Tobago fauna, which in due course can
help solve some of these questions, resolve which species do
occur in Trinidad & Tobago, and as the technology becomes
more accessible, facilitate rapid identication. For the taxa
that have been described from Trinidad, characterisation by
their DNA barcodes will be an important contribution, to
stabilise and dene the use of these names. The following
23 taxa of Euchromiina have been described from Trinidad
[with their current status]:
• Antichloris trinitatis Rothschild, 1912 [synonym of
Phoenicoprocta vacillans (Walker, 1856)]
• Calonotos craneae Fleming, 1957 [valid subspecies
Calonotos helymus (Cramer, 1775)
• Calonotos emingi Cock and Laguerre, 2022 [valid
species]
• Calonotos tiburtus form trinidadensis Strand, 1915
[synonym of Calonotos aterrima (Sepp, 1847) ssp.
tripunctata Druce, 1898]
• Calonotos tripunctata Druce, 1898 [valid subspecies
of Calonotos aterrima (Sepp, 1847)]
• Cosmosoma klagesi Rothschild, 1910 [valid species]
• Cosmosoma melathoracia Kaye, 1901 [valid species]
• Cosmosoma pytna Druce, 1906 [valid species]
• Cosmosoma rubriscapulae Kaye, 1901 [valid species]
• Histiaea [sic] meldolae Butler, 1876 [valid species]
• Isanthrene tryhanei Rothschild, 1911 [valid species]
• Macrocneme nigritarsia ab. trinitatensis Strand, 1917
[synonym of Poliopastea vittata (Walker, 1854)]
• Macrocneme spinivalva Fleming, 1957 [synonym of
Macrocneme aurifera Hampson, 1914]
• Macrocneme thyra intacta Draudt, 1915 [synonym of
Macrocneme thyra Möschler, 1883]
• Mydropastea disparata Kaye, 1920 [synonym of
Phoenicoprocta vacillans]
•
Pheia beebei Fleming, 1957 [valid species, now placed
in Xanthyda]
• Phoenicoprocta trinitatis Strand, 1915 [synonym of
Phoenicoprocta vacillans]
•
Phoenicoprocta vacillans ab. nigropeltata Strand, 1915
[synonym of Phoenicoprocta vacillans]
• Pseudosphex kenedyae Fleming, 1957 [valid species,
now placed in Myrmecopsis]
• Saurita arimensis Fleming, 1957 [valid species, now
placed in Hypocharis]
• Saurita perspicua Schaus, 1905 [valid species
temporarily retained in Saurita]
• Sphecosoma trinitatis Rothschild, 1911 [valid species
now placed in Pleurosoma]
• Valvaminor jacerda Cock and Laguerre, 2022 [valid
species]
Layout of species entries
In the treatment that follows, genera and species are
presented in alphabetical order. This inevitably means that
closely related genera may be widely separated, and this
is partially addressed in the combined plates (Figs. 1–2),
where similar genera and species are placed together to
some extent. As for Cock’s (2021) recent treatment of
Trinidad & Tobago Notodontidae, under each species, the
presentation follows a standardised sequence:
The currently accepted name for that species, and
subspecies where used. The author and year of publication
for each name are included, in parentheses where the species
or subspecies were originally described in a dierent genus.
This is followed by references to the gures illustrating the
species in this paper, and where known, the BIN in BOLD.
Immediately below this is the original description(s),
preceded by ‘OD:’; author and year of publication for the
species is repeated, followed by the original combination,
and the type locality (TL). The original publications of
7
descriptions are not included in the references unless
they are specically referred to in the text; if needed, this
information is available in Beccaloni et al. (2003). Below
this, and preceded by ‘TT:’, are entries for this and any
other names or combinations for this species that have
appeared in the literature and refer explicitly to its presence
in Trinidad or Tobago, i.e. these do not include generalised
statements, e.g. that a particular species occurs throughout
the Caribbean, or throughout the Neotropical Region. We
have listed taxonomic papers where Trinidad or Tobago
are included in the material examined section; doubtless
we have missed some of these but should have located and
referred to all those papers dealing with Trinidad or Tobago
specically.
Historical notes. The key published records are presented,
and in many cases, the location of specimens referred to in
the original publications has been established, to conrm
these early identications. We also explain the basis of
our identication and use of the name. In preparing this
account, we have checked all species in the NHMUK
collection, although MJWC did much of this last century
and the curation has been further developed since then. We
have also examined the main collection and type collection
in USNM. In some cases, MJWC has dissected the male
terminalia of specimens in MJWC to compare with Cerda
(2008) and unpublished images of ML’s dissections from
French Guiana and elsewhere.
Taxonomic issues. Here, concerns regarding the identity of
the species in Trinidad & Tobago are outlined, particularly
where examination of DNA barcodes in BOLD (http://www.
boldsystems.org/) suggests greater diversity than is evident
in the described species, or recent work has revealed some
of this complexity.
Identication. Notes and pointers are provided to facilitate
the identication of each species in Trinidad (or Tobago),
paying particular attention to the features visible in images of
live moths in the resting position. These diagnostic features
are not intended to be used for the richer continental fauna
of South America, where in many cases they will not be
adequate. Comments on polymorphism, variation, and
sexual dimorphism are included here.
Biology in Trinidad. In this section, comments and
illustrations regarding the life history and adult habits are
restricted to observations from Trinidad & Tobago (unless
specically stated otherwise). Where nothing is known
from Trinidad & Tobago, this section is omitted.
Status in Trinidad. This is a brief statement regarding the
frequency with which each species has been encountered,
where, and in what habitats, broadly categorized as forested
or suburban.
Figures. The pinned specimens shown in the plates are
shown life-size in Figs. 1–2, and enlarged to a standard
column width elsewhere; the specimens were collected by
MJWC and are held in his collection except where otherwise
stated. Whenever possible a male and female in dorsal view
and ventral view are shown, and additional specimens may
be included to indicate morphs and variation. © in the gure
legend refers to the photographer unless indicated otherwise.
Supplementary Appendix. The appendix, available at
https://ttfnc.org/livingworld/index.php/lwj/article/view/
cock_laguerre2023/appendix, includes a listing of all
records compiled from the sources listed below, following a
standard format: locality, means of capture, sex of specimen
if known (a ‘?’ indicates uncertainty, e.g. in a photograph,
or the sex was not noted at the time of examination), date
of capture, (collector/photographer), [collection holding the
specimen (if any), and any comments regarding curation
or identication from the time MJWC examined the
collection]. ‘MVL’ is used to indicate captures made using
a mercury vapour light and ‘BLT’ for black light trap – both
having a strong ultra-violet component to attract the adults
by night, whereas ‘at light’ normally refers to other lights,
e.g. domestic lighting.
This includes a listing of all material from Trinidad &
Tobago reported by Fleming (1957) or examined by one
of the authors. In preparing this work, we consulted the
following collections, either in person or from images
shared by their sta (see acknowledgements):
MGCL McGuire Center for Lepidoptera & Biodiversity,
Gainesville FL, USA;
MJWC the private research collection of M.J.W. Cock,
UK (records from all specimens and unpublished
notes compiled and collated);
MNB Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Germany;
NHMUK Natural History Museum, London, UK, which
contains much historical material collected by
F. Birch, S.M. Klages, W.J. Kaye, and others
(the main sequence was checked and records
included, but accessions were not reviewed
systematically);
NMS National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK,
which includes part of the collections of Sir
Norman Lamont and D.J. Stradling (records
from both compiled and collated);
OUMNH Oxford University Museum of Natural History,
which includes material collected by R.M.
Farmborough, F. W. Jackson and others (records
from many, but perhaps not all, specimens from
both the main sequence and accessions compiled
and collated);
SDEI Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches
Institut, Müncheberg, Germany
USNM National Museum of Natural History (formerly
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
8Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 3. Male Autochloris almon. Above, Inniss Field, eupatorium owers, in copulo, 2.x.1994; 37 mm. Below, Parrylands, eupatorium
owers, 29.ix.2019 (J. Morrall); 39 mm.
United States National Museum), Washington
DC, USA (type material examined, but only
selected species in the main collection);
UWIZM University of the West Indies Zoology Museum,
St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago, which
includes part of the collections of Sir Norman
Lamont and D.J. Stradling as well as the former
CABI collection containing material collected
by the author, F.D. Bennett, R.E. Cruttwell (now
McFadyen), R. Brown and T. Cassie, M. Morais,
and others (records from all specimens compiled
and collated).
While MJWC was resident in Trinidad, he sent a large
number of specimens to the NHMUK for identication by
CABI and NHMUK sta and retention in the NHMUK
collection. For each morphospecies sent, a duplicate
specimen was retained, and these pairs of duplicates were
numbered sequentially TL-001, TL-002, etc. Hence for
each TL- number there will normally be one duplicate in
NHMUK (many are held in the accessions) and the other
in either MJWC or UWIZM; these specimens are indicated
by the TL- number which is given together with the holding
collection in square brackets. MJWC recorded the locality
and date of capture of specimens sent to NHMUK, but not
the sex. Hence, in compiling this data here, he has often
not located his specimens in NHMUK, and so many are
listed with ‘?’ for the sex. In the case of Euchromiina,
identications were made at NHMUK by Alan Watson. We
have revisited all these early identications, and with the
benet of having examined types in the USNM have often
improved on them; accordingly, we do not discuss Watson’s
early identications in our treatment. MJWC has also
examined and included images of live material from various
contacts (see Appendix listings and acknowledgements) as
well as reviewing the records on iNaturalist (https://www.
inaturalist.org/).
EUCHROMIINA OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO:
SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT
Abrochia Herrich-Schäer, 1855 (see Pseudosphex Hübner,
1818) (Ctenuchina)
AUTOCHLORIS HÜBNER, [1819]
Type species: Sphinx almon Cramer, 1779, TL Suriname.
Autochloris almon (Cramer, 1779)
Figs. 3–4. BIN BOLD:ACV3136
OD: Cramer 1779: Sphinx Adscites almon, TL Suriname.
9
Historical notes. This species has not previously been
recorded from Trinidad. Identied by comparison with
the NHMUK series, most of which have extensive hyaline
markings (Figs. 3–4), as does Cramer’s (1777–1782, pl.
224F) image.
Taxonomic issues. Given that this species was described
from Suriname, the use of this name should be correct.
In NMS, there is a male of this species labelled as a
cotype of Mydropastea disparata Kaye, 1920 (see under
Phoenicoprocta vacillans below). DNA barcodes of
Trinidad material form part of BIN BOLD:ACV3136 which
includes material identied as A. cincta Schaus, 1905 (TL
French Guiana) and A. completa Walker, 1854 (TL Brazil,
Pará). It seems this may be a polymorphic species on the
mainland, but C. almon should be the oldest name.
Identication. The black wings with transparent hyaline
spots (Figs. 3–4) are quite distinctive in Trinidad, and might
only be confused with the female chrysonota morph of P.
vacillans. However, in that species the dorsal green line of
the abdomen extends onto the posterior part of the thorax,
whereas in A. almon it stops on abdominal segment 2. This
species is variable in the extent of the transparent hyaline
areas of both wings (Figs. 3–4). The antennae of males
have longer pectinations, but otherwise the sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. Adults y by day, but have not
been recorded attracted to heliotrope. Almost all records
are of adults attracted to owers of Austroeupatorium
inulaefolium; both males and females are attracted, and one
mating pair has been taken on these owers.
Status in Trinidad. An uncommon species, thus far only
Fig. 4. Female Autochloris almon. Above, Cat’s Hill, eupatorium owers, 24.ix.2017 (John Morrall); 39 mm. Middle, Cat’s Hill, eupatorium
owers, 24.ix.2017 (John Morrall); 39 mm. Below, Inniss Field, eupatorium owers, in copulo 2.x.1994; 38 mm.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
10 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 5. Male Calonotos aterrima tripunctata, Cumaca Road, 4.6 miles, MVL, 21.x.1982; 40 mm.
Fig. 6. Female Calonotos aterrima tripunctata, Curepe, at light, 24.vi.1978; 42 mm.
recorded from the south of the island.
CALONOTOS HÜBNER, [1819]
Type species: Sphinx phlegmon Cramer, 1775, TL Surname.
Incorrectly spelt as Calonotus in much of the literature
(Watson et al. 1980), including that for Trinidad. The
Trinidad Calonotos fauna includes ve species with black
wings and solid white spots on both wings, a feature only
shared by Leucotmemis nexa in the Trinidad fauna. The
latter species is readily separated by the post-medial white
marking being a bar rather than a spot, and having four dark
veins crossing it. Calonotos tiburtus has orange stripes
on the abdomen rather than metallic green stripes of the
other four species. Calonotosemingi has no sub-medial
white spot on the forewing, and typically just a white post
medial spot. The male of C. aterrima tripunctata normally
has just one post-medial white spot, while the female, C.
chalcipleura and C. helymus craneae have two. In C.
aterrima tripunctata and C.emingi the dorsal green line on
the abdomen extends across abdominal segment 1, but not
in C. chalcipleura and C. helymus craneae. In C. aterrima
tripunctata and C. helymus craneae there is a green streak
on the basal costa, but in C. chalcipleura and C.emingi
there is a second basal green streak.
Calonotos aterrima (Sepp, 1847) ssp. tripunctata Druce,
1898
Figs. 5–7. BIN: BOLD:AAK1644.
OD: Sepp 1847 (in Sepp 1843–1847): Glaucopis aterrima,
TL Suriname.
Druce 1898: Calonotos tripunctata, TL Trinidad.
TT: Calonotos tripunctata Druce: Druce (1898), Kaye
(1901), Kaye and Lamont (1927), Fleming (1957)
Calonotos tripunctatus [sic] Druce: Zerny (1912),
Draudt (1915–1917), Fleming (1950)
Calonotos tiburtus trinidadensis Strand: Strand (1915)
TL, Strand (1927), Fleming (1957) [synonym]
Calonotos tiburtus trinitatis [sic] Strand: Draudt
(1915–1917) [synonym]
Calonotos aterrima tripunctata Druce: Cock and
Laguerre (2022)
Historical notes. Sepp (1843–1848, pl. 97) illustrated
the biology and adults when describing C. aterrima; the
adult has a plain black forewing. As also reported below
for C. helymus, the Trinidad population diers from those
of the Guianas in that it has white spots on the forewing.
Druce (1898) described C. tripunctata from Trinidad,
11
based on a male with two white forewing spots (♂ type,
NHMUK). This record was repeated in Kaye (1901). Kaye
and Lamont (1927) listed four specimens from Palmiste
31.v.1917, 25.v.1917, 4.iv.1921, 30.iv.1921 (N. Lamont).
The second of these is a correctly identied female now in
NMS. The fourth is a male C. helymus, also in NMS, but the
other two specimens have not been located. There are ve
other specimens in Lamont’s collection in UWIZM as C.
tripunctata, but they are a male C. aterrima tripunctata and
four female C. helymus craneae. Clearly early collectors
treated the two species as one.
Strand (1915) described form trinidadensis of C.
tiburtus from Caparo, Trinidad. Cock and Laguerre (2022)
examined images of the type series and found it comprised
a female C. aterrima tripunctata, and a male and female C.
helymus craneae. They designated the female C. aterrima
tripunctata as lectotype, and hence C. tiburtus trinidadensis
is a synonym of C. aterrima tripunctata.
Fleming (1957) recorded seven males and 14 females
from Simla. MJWC initially identied this species as C.
tripunctata by comparison with the type (NHMUK, ♂
with two forewing spots, Trinidad); at that time (1980s),
the NHMUK series of C. tripunctata was a mixture of what
MJWC considered C. tripunctata and C. craneae.
Taxonomic issues. Kaye and Lamont (1927) stated that
C. tripunctata and C. chalcipleura ‘merge into one another
and they are clearly one species’. Fleming (1957), in
contrast considered that C. chalcipleura ‘appears to be a
valid species’, although he does not formally change its
status. Specimens from the Kaye collection in MGCL and
the Lamont collection in NMS are a mixture of C. helymus
craneae and C. aterrima tripunctata.
DNA barcodes of two Trinidad specimens show that
the Trinidad population is in fact the species treated as C.
aterrima in French Guiana (BOLD:AAK1644), and we
found that the male genitalia are also the same. However,
the French Guiana population has the forewing plain
black, whereas it always has white spots in Trinidad,
and accordingly, Cock and Laguerre (2022) treated C.
tripunctata as a subspecies of C. aterrima.
Identication. Separation from C. helymus is discussed
under that species; see also under Calonotos above. The
antennae of males are noticeably more strongly bipectinate
than those of females. In the material examined, males
have two white forewing spots, whereas females have three.
Biology in Trinidad. The early stages have not been
reported from Trinidad. Sepp (1843–1847, pl. 97) illustrated
the biology of what appears to be this species on ‘caféyer’
(i.e. caféier, the coee tree, Coea sp. Rubiaceae).
Status in Trinidad. A common and widespread species,
more prevalent in lowland areas.
Calonotos chalcipleura Hampson, 1898
Figs. 8–9, Appendix Figs. 1, 25. BIN BOLD:AAG6310.
OD: Hampson 1898: Calonotos chalcipleura, TL Venezuela,
Aroa
Historical notes. This species has not previously been
recorded from Trinidad, although it may easily have been
overlooked.
Taxonomic issues. Kaye and Lamont (1927) stated that
Fig. 7. Male Calonotos aterrima tripunctata, St. Augustine, UWI,
11.ii.2021, nandani_bridglal (iNaturalist observation 69700815);
©, with permission.
Fig. 8. Male Calonotos chalcipleura, Morne Bleu Ridge, Textel Road, ix.2021, S. Alston-Smith; 42 mm.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
12 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
C. tripunctata and C. chalcipleura ‘merge into one another
and they are clearly one species’. Zerny (1931a, 1931b)
probably overlooked Kaye and Lamont’s (1927) statement
when he maintained C. chalcipleura as a valid species.
Fleming (1957) specically stated that C. chalcipleura
‘appears to be a valid species’. A Trinidad specimen was
DNA barcoded and forms part of BIN BOLD:AAG6310,
together with specimens from Colombia (2) and Peru (14).
Identication. This species could be mistaken for C.
helymus craneae, as the diagnostic markings on the anterior
abdomen are similar. However, C. chalcipleura has a green
patch in space 1 (Cu2–2A) at the base of the wing, which
Fig. 9. Male Calonotos chalcipleura, Inniss Field, by night,
21.v.2022, R. Deo (iNaturalist observation 118264188); ©, with
permission.
is not present in C. helymus craneae, and the white spot on
the hindwing is present across two spaces, divided by the
black nerve (like C. aterrima tripunctata), and not just in
the upper space, and the ventral abdomen has a weak, partial
white line rather than a solid one. The female resembles the
male, but the antennae are not as broadly pectinate.
Biology in Trinidad. One Trinidad capture was at owers
and another was seen on a night walk. It is not clear from
the specimen data that any have been caught at light in
Trinidad.
Status in Trinidad. Several records from the Northern
Range and around Port of Spain, as well as one in lowland
forest of south Trinidad.
Calonotos emingi Cock and Laguerre, 2022
Figs. 10–11. For gures of the details of body and male
genitalia, see Cock and Laguerre (2022).
OD: Cock and Laguerre 2022: Calonotos emingi, TL
Trinidad.
TT: Calonotos emingi Cock and Laguerre: Cock and
Laguerre (2022) TL
Historical notes. This is a species recently described from
Trinidad (Cock and Laguerre 2022). Although W.J. Kaye
probably saw one or more specimens in OUMNH, he did
not separate them from other Trinidad Calonotos species.
Identication. This seems to be the only Trinidad species
of the genus consistently with a single white spot on the
dorsal forewing. Heavily marked females may have traces
of small extra spots in spaces 2 and 3 (Cu
1
-Cu
2
and M
3
-Cu
1
)
Fig. 10. Female Calonotos emingi. Above, Trinidad, iv-v.1902 (E. Bourke) [OUMNH]. Below, Fondes Amandes, 200 ft., 19.iii.1922
(F.W. Jackson) [OUMNH]
13
Fig. 12. Male Calonotos helymus craneae with two forewing spots, above Mt. St Benedict’s, MVL, 26.v.1981; 42 mm.
Fig. 11. Male Calonotos emingi, Curepe, MVL, 15-22.iv.1982; 34 mm.
(Fig. 11 below), but the pair of small spots in outer space 3
(M3-Cu1) is not seen in any other Trinidad species.
Status in Trinidad. An uncommon species from lowland
areas.
Calonotos helymus (Cramer, 1775) ssp. craneae Fleming,
1957
Figs. 12–15. BIN: BOLD:AAK1636.
OD: Cramer 1775: Sphinx Adscita helymus, TL Suriname.
Fleming 1957: Calonotos craneae, TL Trinidad.
TT: Calonotos craneae Fleming: Fleming (1957), Beebe
and Kenedy (1957), Blest (1964), Cock (2003)
Calonotos helymus craneae Fleming: Cock and
Laguerre (2022)
Historical notes. Cramer (1775–1782) described this
species from Suriname, illustrating dorsal and ventral views.
This form with plain black forewings has not been seen
from Trinidad, where all material has three, or sometimes
two, white forewing spots.
Kaye and Lamont (1927) recorded C. helymus from
Trinidad on the basis of an undated Lamont specimen
from Palmiste; this specimen is in NMS, and is a female
of Phoenicoprocta vacillans (Walker, 1856) form trinitatis
Strand, with plain dark forewings (and is treated under that
species).
Fleming (1957) described C. craneae from Trinidad,
based on a type series of 30 males and 24 females. MJWC
identied Trinidad material as this species by comparison
with the paratypes (♂, ♀ Trinidad) in NHMUK, and from
Fleming (1957). An image of the holotype is available on-
line (AMNH 2022).
Taxonomic issues. Although the plain black forewing
form is not found in Trinidad, and the white spotted form
is not found in French Guiana, DNA barcodes and the male
genitalia of Trinidad material show that C. craneae is the
same as C. helymus as found in French Guiana (Cerda
2008). Accordingly, Cock and Laguerre (2022) placed C.
craneae as a subspecies of C. helymus.
Identication. In Trinidad, C. helymus craneae, C.
chalcipleura and C. aterrima tripunctata (below) can be
easily confused. However, as Fleming (1957) pointed out,
C. aterrima tripunctata can be separated from the other
two by the green markings on the dorsal abdomen. The
dorsal green band starts on the anterior margin of A1 in C.
aterrima, but on the anterior margin of A2 in C. chalcipleura
and C. helymus; further C. helymus has a white spot on
either side of this line on A1, not present in C. aterrima.
The separation of C. chalcipleura and C. helymus craneae
is discussed under the former species.
Males have longer pectinations on the antennae than
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
14 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 15. Male Calonotos helymus craneae, Port of Spain, Lady
Chancellor Road, 8.ii.2010, M. Gibson (iNaturalist observation
38419929); ©, with permission.
do females, but this is not easy to interpret in photographs.
Based on the material examined, females typically have
three forewing spots, whereas the spot in space 3 (M3-Cu1)
is typically reduced or sometimes absent in males.
Biology in Trinidad. The early stages have not been
reported from Trinidad. Sepp (1843–1848, pl. 59) illustrated
the biology of what appears to be this species on an
unidentied ?Apocynaceae. Adults are distasteful (Beebe
and Kenedy 1957). They occasionally y by day (females
have been found feeding at owers of Austroeupatorium
inulaefolium), and by night when both sexes are attracted
to light (Beebe and Kenedy 1957, author’s observations).
Status in Trinidad. This is a widespread and common
species, most frequently found in disturbed and suburban
areas.
Calonotos tiburtus (Cramer, 1780)
Figs. 16–18, Appendix Fig. 2.
OD: Cramer 1780: Sphinx tiburtus, TL Suriname.
TT: Calonotos tiburtus (Cramer): Kaye and Lamont (1927),
Fleming (1957)
Calonotos tiburtus trinidadensis Strand: Strand (1915)
TL, Strand (1927), Fleming (1957) [misidentication]
Calonotos tiburtus trinitatis [sic] Strand: Draudt
(1915–1917) [misidentication]
Historical notes. Kaye and Lamont (1927) listed this
species from Trinidad without comment. This could have
been based on the specimen in the Admiral Bourke collection
in OUMNH, which W.J. Kaye examined. Identied by
comparison with the NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. This species is not covered by Cerda
(2008), and the externally visible genitalia of a Trinidad
specimen do not match any of the species from French Guiana
that he treated. Hampson (1898) treated this species from
Costa Rica, Panama, Guyana and Suriname; he indicates that
the spot in space 2 (Cu1-Cu2) is only present in the female,
but it is present in all Trinidad specimens examined.
As noted under C. aterrima tripunctata, Strand (1915)
Fig. 14. Female Calonotos helymus craneae, Cat’s Hill, on owers of Austroeupatorium inulaefolium, 24.ix.2019 (J. Morrall); 40 mm.
Fig. 13. Male Calonotos helymus craneae with three forewing spots, Curepe, MVL, 5.i.1980; 40 mm.
15
Fig. 16. Male Calonotos tiburtus, Morne Bleu, Textel Installation, at light, 10.vii.1978; 39 mm.
Fig. 17. Female Calonotos tiburtus, Curepe, MVL, (F.D. Bennett); 38 mm.
Fig. 18. Male(?) Calonotos tiburtus, Bush Bush Island, 8.iv.2022,
R. Deo (iNaturalist observation 110744526); ©, with permission.
Status in Trinidad. Fleming (1957) recorded two
specimens from Simla and notes that it is quite common in
Nariva Swamp. This is a widespread but uncommon species
recorded from both forest and suburban habitats. There
have been a few observations by day, but most records are
of moths attracted to light by night.
Chrostosoma guianensis Kaye (see Saurita perspicua)
Chrostosoma viridipunctatum Rothschild (see Heterodontia
fenestrina).
COSMOSOMA HÜBNER, [1823]
Type species Cosmosoma omphale Hübner, 1823, TL
not stated, a junior subjective synonym of Sphinx auge
Linnaeus, 1767. The genus is known to be polyphyletic
(Simmons et al. 2012, Laguerre 2014). Cosmosoma spp. all
have transparent wings, with a sharply dened black border
of variable width, sometimes a dark bar across the end of the
forewing cell, and the head, thorax and abdomen variably
marked in bright colours. This is also true of Loxophlebia
spp., Pheia toulgoeti, male Phoenicoprocta vacillans,
Valvaminor jacerda and Xanthyda beebei (Euchromiina),
as well as Aethria, Dinia, Diptilon, Trichura and Urolasia
described specimens of C. aterrima tripunctata and C.
helymus craneae as form trinidadensis of C. tiburtus. Cock
and Laguerre (2022) designated a lectotype, making C.
tiburtus trinidadensis a synonym of C. aterrima tripunctata.
Identication. This is the only Trinidad species of this
appearance with golden orange stripes on the abdomen.
The sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. Most captures have been at light.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
16 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
(Ctenuchina).
Cosmosoma achemon (Fabricius, 1781)
Figs. 19–20.
OD: Fabricius 1781: Zygaena achemon, TL Jamaica
TT: Cosmosoma achemon (Fabricius): Fleming (1957)
Historical notes. Fleming (1957) recorded a male from
St. Augustine. Identied by comparison with the NHMUK
series.
Taxonomic issues. Some males in the NHMUK series
have red marking on the bar of cell of the dorsal forewing.
Cerda’s (2008) gure of the male is more extensively red
than that shown here from Trinidad (Fig. 19), whereas that
of the female (not seen from Trinidad) has red conned
to the shoulders. Cosmosoma achemon is represented in
BOLD by BIN BOLD:ACF3243 (Paraguay (1), Peru (1),
Costa Rica (37), Guatemala (1), Jamaica (1), Dominican
Republic (1)) as a sequence from the type locality, Jamaica
is included. The females have no forewing bar, and match
Trinidad material in habitus.
Identication. This is one of four relatively small
Cosmosoma spp., the other three being C. bolivarensis,
C. hypocheilus and C. remota. Cosmosoma achemon
has more extensive red markings on the dorsal forewing,
extending nearly the length of the dorsum, the dorsal thorax
is mostly red, and a solid red dorsal line on the abdomen; C.
bolivarensis has minimal or no red markings on the dorsal
forewing, only a red line each side of the dorsal thorax,
and no red dorsal line on the abdomen; C. hypocheilus
has extensive red markings on the base and costa of the
dorsal forewing, red dorsal thorax and a brown-red stripe
on the dorsal abdomen, narrowed at each end; C. remota
has intermediate red markings on the dorsal forewing, just
a red line on each side of the dorsal thorax, and the red
dorsal line of the abdomen reduced or fragmented. The
male of C. remota, and both sexes of C. bolivarensis and
C. remota have a black bar on the forewing from the tornus
to the cell, although more material may show this character
Fig. 20. Female Cosmosoma achemon, Penal, 4.iii.2014, K.
Sookdeo; ©, with permission.
Fig. 19. Male Cosmosoma achemon, Curepe, BLT, 26.v-11.vi.1981 (F.D. Bennett); 25 mm.
to be more variable than this. Cosmosoma hypocheilus has
this bar in the male, but not in the individual we identify
below as female (Fig. 27); both sexes have a dark bar from
the costa across the end of the cell.
Biology in Trinidad. Males have been attracted to light.
Status in Trinidad. Rare; records restricted to Curepe, St.
Augustine and Penal suggest this is not a forest species.
Cosmosoma auge Linnaeus, 1767
Figs. 21–22.
OD: Linnaeus 1767: Sphinx auge, TL ‘America’.
Historical notes. This species has not been reported
from Trinidad before. Although there are two identied
specimens from the 1940s in Sir Norman Lamont’s
collection in UWIZM, Lamont and Callan (1950) did not
include this species. Identied from Cerda (2008).
Taxonomic issues. Cosmosoma auge is included in BOLD
as BOLD:AAE4005 (Argentina (6), Paraguay (1), Brazil:
Parana (1), Jamaica (2), Puerto Rico (1), Dominican
Republic (1), Florida (3, as C. myrodora), Costa Rica
(10)) and ABZ2089 (Brazil: Parana). Linnaeus (1767,
17
Fig. 21. Male Cosmosoma auge, Morne Bleu, Textel Installation, at light, 29.ix.1978; 32 mm.
Fig. 22. Male Cosmosoma auge, Penal, at light, 3.iii.2014 (K.
Sookdeo); ©, with permission.
(1927), Fleming (1957) [misidentication]
Cosmosoma bolivarensis Klages: Cock and Laguerre
(2022)
Historical notes. Druce (1905) described Cosmosoma
anoxanthia from the Caura Valley, Venezuela, and Hampson
(1914, pl. 8.25) provides an illustration. Kaye and Lamont
(1927) recorded a capture of C. anoxanthia at Palmiste by
Sir Norman Lamont. There is a Lamont specimen with no
data label in NMS, which is considered to represent this
specimen. Fleming (1957) recorded six males and three
females from Simla. Cock and Laguerre (2022) explained
that the species treated as C. anoxanthia in Trinidad is
actually C. bolivarensis, which they raised to species status
from being a synonym of C. anoxanthia.
Taxonomic issues. Klages (1906) and Fleming (1957)
stated that the female lacks the tornal bar of the forewing
found in the male, but this seems not to be consistently the
case in Trinidad (Fig. 24), so we consider this character
variable.
Identication. This species may be compared with the
other two relatively small Cosmosoma spp: C. achemon
and C. remota, as discussed above under the rst of these.
The sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. Males of this species have been
occasionally attracted to Heliotropium. Both sexes have
been attracted to light.
Status in Trinidad. An occasional and widespread species.
Cosmosoma gemmata (Butler, 1876)
Fig. 26.
OD: Butler 1876: Pheia gemmata, TL Santa Marta,
Colombia.
TT: Cosmosoma gemmata (Butler): Cock (2017)
Historical notes. Cock (2017) recorded this species from
Tobago, but it is not known from Trinidad.
Taxonomic issues. Identied by comparison with the
type (NHMUK, ♀ Colombia, St Marta) and NHMUK
series. Cerda (2008) treated C. gemmata and its morph
xanthocera Hampson, 1898, which has extensive orange
p.807) gave the type locality as ‘America’ and one or more
specimens in the collection of Lorenze Spengler. There
is what appears to be a type specimen in The Linnean
Collections (2022), which although in poor condition, is
compatible with the species we treat here. Hence, it seems
appropriate to treat BOLD:AAE4005 as C. auge and apply
this name to Trinidad material.
Identication. The predominantly red thorax, broad
dorsolateral red stripes on the abdomen, and dorsal row
of blue iridescent spots on the abdomen should serve to
distinguish this species. The sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. Most specimens were captured at
light.
Status in Trinidad. An uncommon species, mostly from
forested areas.
Cosmosoma bolivarensis Klages, 1906
Figs. 23–25. For gures of the details of body and male
genitalia, see Cock and Laguerre (2022).
OD: Klages 1906: Cosmosoma achemon var. bolivarensis,
TL Venezuela, Cuidad Bolivar
TT: Cosmosoma anoxanthia (Druce): Kaye and Lamont
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
18 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
areas on the forewing costa and base, and parts of the dorsal
body. The form xanthocera is the only one that occurs in
French Guiana, and although both forms occur in Venezuela
(Klages 1906), the xanthocera morph has not been seen from
Trinidad or Tobago. There are no DNA barcodes available
to help understand this better. A specimen labelled as C.
xanthocera in Lamont’s collection in UWIZM is actually
C. pytna Druce (below).
Identication. This species can be recognized by the red
streaks on the basal forewing, the absence of red markings
on the body, and the dorso-lateral row of blue metallic
spots on the abdomen. It is closest in appearance to C.
rubriscapulae, but that species has minimal red markings
at the base of the dorsal forewing, and is extensively red on
the dorsal thorax. The female has not been recorded from
Fig. 23. Male Cosmosoma bolivarensis. Above, Curepe, to Heliotropium, 7-13.xi.1980; 25 mm. Below, Curepe, MVL, 30.viii.1978; 24 mm.
Fig. 24. Female Cosmosoma bolivarensis, Curepe, MVL, 14.ix.1979; 27 mm.
Fig. 25. Male Cosmosoma bolivarensis, Penal, 19.iv.2014, K.
Sookdeo; ©, with permission.
19
Tobago, but is similar to the male.
Biology in Trinidad and Tobago. The only known Tobago
adult was attracted to MV light.
Status in Trinidad. No Trinidad records; only one record
from Tobago, in disturbed forest above Speyside (Cock
2017).
Cosmosoma hypocheilus Hampson, 1898
Fig. 27.
OD: Hampson 1898: Cosmosoma hypocheilus, TL St.
Vincent.
Historical notes. This is a new record for Trinidad based on
a photograph only (Fig. 27). It was identied from Hampson
(1898), and is almost an exact match to Hampson’s gure,
except for the absence of a dark bar from the end of the cell
to the tornus, which is a male character.
Taxonomic issues. Not in BOLD.
Identication. This is a relatively small species, comparable
to C. achemon. It can be recognized by the extensive red
markings at the base of the dorsal forewing and extending
along most of the costa, the red dorsal thorax, the red dorsal
line on the abdomen, narrowing at each end, and the black
bar across the end of the cell of the forewing. Hampson
(1898) notes that in the female, the dark bar from the end
Fig. 26. Male, Cosmosoma gemmata, Tobago, nr. Speyside, MVL, 14-17.v.1982; 38 mm.
Fig. 27. Female Cosmosoma hypocheilus, South Oropouche, Mon
Desir, on owers of Austroeupatorium inulaefolium, 28.ix.2020,
T.P. Maharaj; ©, with permission.
of the cell to the tornus is very much reduced or absent, as
is the case in Fig. 27.
Biology in Trinidad. The only record was photographed
feeding at owers of Austroeupatorium inulaefolium.
Status in Trinidad. Just one record from South Oropouche.
It is expected to occur in Tobago, given that it was described
from St. Vincent.
Cosmosoma klagesi Rothschild, 1910
Figs. 28–30, Appendix Figs. 3, 26. BIN BOLD:ABZ0274.
OD: Rothschild 1910: Cosmosoma klagesi, TL Trinidad.
TT: Cosmosoma klagesi Rothschild: Rothschild (1910),
Zerny (1912), Rothschild (1913), Draudt (1915–1917),
Kaye and Lamont (1927), Zerny (1931a), Fleming
(1957), Blest (1964), Cerda (2008)
Historical notes. Rothschild (1910) described and
illustrated (Rothschild 1913) this species from Trinidad,
based on what he reported as a female from Caparo,
Trinidad, November 1905 (S.M. Klages). This specimen
in NHMUK is actually a male.
Kaye and Lamont (1927) noted that this species was
described from a Trinidad specimen, and added records
from Guaico, 18.iv.1915 (N. Lamont), and Manzanilla,
1922 (F.W. Jackson); both these specimens have been
examined in NMS. Fleming (1957) recorded 51 males and
20 females from Simla. Identied by comparison with the
type (NHMUK, ♂ Trinidad).
Taxonomic issues. In BOLD, material identied as C.
stilbosticta (Butler, 1876), C. klagesi, C. braconoides
(Walker, 1854) and C. thiacia Hampson are grouped in BIN
BOLD:ABZ0274 from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador,
Brazil (Parana), French Guiana, Colombia and Peru. At
present, we consider this a group of closely related species
with a common BIN, and retain the name C. klagesi here
as it was described from Trinidad. The male genitalia of
a Trinidad specimen are shown in Appendix Fig. 26, and
match those shown by Cerda (2008) from French Guiana.
Identication. A very distinctive species in Trinidad as it
is the only one that is black with a plain orange abdomen.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
20 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 28. Male Cosmosoma klagesi ♂, Cumaca Road, 4.6 miles, MVL, 21.x.1982; 30 mm.
Fig. 29. Female Cosmosoma klagesi, Sangre Grande, Sans Souci Estate, MVL, 8.viii.1982; 31 mm.
Fig. 30. Female Cosmosoma klagesi, Arima Valley, Asa Wright
Nature Centre, 7.xii.2019, S.L. Williamson (iNaturalist observation
36484831); © with permission.
The sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. All records which record the method
of capture were of specimens attracted to light. The adults
show some resemblance to the night-ying social wasps of
the genus Apoica, which have a nasty sting (speaking from
personal experience).
Status in Trinidad. An occasional and widespread species.
Cosmosoma melathoracia Kaye, 1901
Figs. 31–34, Appendix Figs. 4, 27.
OD: Kaye 1901: Cosmosoma melathoracia, TL Trinidad.
TT: Cosmosoma melathoracia Kaye: Kaye (1901),
Hampson (1914), Draudt (1915–1917), Kaye and
Lamont (1927), Fleming (1957)
Cosmosoma melathoracea [sic] Kaye: Kaye and
Lamont (1927)
Cosmosoma melathoracium [sic] Kaye: Zerny (1912),
Zerny (1931a)
Historical notes. Kaye (1901) described and illustrated this
species from a specimen captured in May 1898 at Tabaquite,
Trinidad; the female holotype is in NHMUK. Kaye and
Lamont (1927) noted an additional specimen from Palmiste,
21
Fig. 31. Male Cosmosoma melathoracia, Sangre Grande, Sans Souci Estate, MVL, 8.viii.1982; 34 mm.
Fig. 32. Male Cosmosoma melathoracia (orange dorsal thorax), Rio Claro-Guayaguayare Road, milestone 6.5, MVL, 30.ix.1978; 33 mm
Fig. 33. Female Cosmosoma melathoracia, Cumaca Road, 4.6 miles, MVL, 18.vii.1981; 37 mm.
8.ix.1917 (N. Lamont); this specimen, a female, is in NMS.
Fleming (1957) recorded six males from Simla. Identied
by comparison with the type and NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. Not in BOLD, but DNA barcodes
would be useful to assess the anities of this species. We
include gures of the body details (Appendix Fig. 4) and
male genitalia (Appendix Fig. 27) for this species described
from Trinidad.
Identication. The distinctive brown dorsal thorax is
variable in colour and intensity (Figs. 31–34). When this
brown area is not evident, the red spot or pair of spots
dorsally on abdominal segment one and the row of metallic
green dorsal spots on the abdomen will characterize this
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
22 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 34. Male Cosmosoma melathoracia, Arima Valley, Asa Wright Nature Centre, 23.iii.2015, S. Nanz; ©, with permission.
species. The sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. Most specimens with the method of
capture recorded were taken at light, but it has also been
attracted to heliotrope at night.
Status in Trinidad. An occasional species, found in
forested areas.
Cosmosoma pytna Druce, 1906
Fig. 35, Appendix Fig. 5.
OD: Druce 1906: Cosmosoma pytna, TL Trinidad.
TT: Cosmosoma pytna Druce: Druce (1906), Zerny (1912),
Hampson (1914), Draudt (1915–1917), Kaye and
Lamont (1927), Fleming (1957)
Historical notes. This species was described from Trinidad
(Druce 1906) and the male holotype is in NHMUK. There
do not seem to have been any further published records
since the original description (Kaye and Lamont 1927,
Fleming 1957), but Lamont captured a female at Palmiste
in 1947 and MJWC caught two males on the Rio Claro-
Fig. 35. Male Cosmosoma pytna, Rio Claro-Guayaguayare Road, milestone 6.5, MVL, 30.ix.1978; 30 mm.
Guayaguayare Road in 1978. Identied by comparison with
the holotype.
Taxonomic issues. There are no sequences identied as C.
pytna in BOLD. Sequences from the type locality Trinidad
would be valuable to help characterize this name.
Identication. This is a distinctive species in Trinidad, due
to the orange streaks on the base of the dorsal forewing,
orange patagia, yellow-orange abdominal segment 1 and
brown-orange abdominal segments 5–6. The sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. The two recent captures were at MV
light.
Status in Trinidad. A rare species, with no records from
the North of Trinidad.
Cosmosoma remota (Walker, 1854)
Figs. 36–38.
OD: Walker 1854: Glaucopis remota, TL Venezuela, Brazil,
Pernambuco.
TT: Cosmosoma remota (Walker): Kaye and Lamont
23
(1927), Fleming (1957), Cock (2017b)
Historical notes. Kaye and Lamont (1927) noted a record
from Tobago, but do not explicitly mention this species as
occurring in Trinidad. Fleming (1957) stated that there are
Trinidad males in Kaye’s collection. MJWC examined a
male from Trinidad and a pair from Tobago from Kaye’s
collection, now in MGCL (see Appendix). Identied by
comparison with the type (♀ with discal bar on forewing,
Venezuela) and NHMUK series (including ♀ specimens
Fig. 36. Male Cosmosoma remota, Curepe, MVL, 22.viii.1978; 24 mm.
Fig. 37. Female Cosmosoma remota, Curepe, MVL, 26.viii.1978; 27 mm.
Fig. 38. Cosmosoma remota. Left, male, Port of Spain, Hololo Mountain Road, 18.xi.2018, bushmountainTT (iNaturalist observation
18483478); ©, under CC-BY-NC. Centre, female, Penal, at light, 7.xi.2013, K. Sookdeo; ©, with permission. Right, female, Tobago, south
of Black Rock, 31.vii.2020, gtree (iNaturalist observation 60005380); ©, under CC-BY-NC.
with no discal bar).
Taxonomic issues. BIN BOLD:ACF3637 of specimens
from Panama and Colombia identied as C. remota, is
likely to represent this species, but sequences from Trinidad
and the type localities would be needed to conrm this
association. The specimen from Venezuela in NHMUK
labelled as type is a female with a dark discal bar from
the tornus to the cell; this bar is absent thus far in females
examined from Trinidad and Tobago.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
24 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Identication. This species has red streaks on the
dorsal forewing, just a red line on each side of the dorsal
thorax, and the red dorsal line of the abdomen reduced or
fragmented. The dierences to separate this species from
the other relatively small Cosmosoma spp., C. achemon,
C. hypocheilus and C. bolivarensis are discussed under C.
achemon above. Based on material to hand, the female of C.
remota lacks the black bar on the forewing from the tornus
to the cell, unlike the male, C. achemon and C. bolivarensis.
Biology in Trinidad. Adults may be attracted to heliotrope,
but the majority have been collected at light.
Status in Trinidad and Tobago. A common species,
mainly found in suburban areas.
Cosmosoma rubriscapulae Kaye, 1901
Figs. 39–41, Appendix Figs. 6, 28.
OD: Kaye 1901: Cosmosoma rubriscapulae, TL Trinidad.
TT: Cosmosoma rubriscapulae Kaye: Kaye (1901),
Hampson (1914), Draudt (1915–1917), Kaye and
Lamont (1927), Fleming (1957)
Fig. 39. Male Cosmosoma rubriscapulae, Curepe, MVL, 16.viii.1978; 39 mm.
Fig. 40. Female Cosmosoma rubriscapulae, Morne Bleu, Textel Installation, at light, 29.iii.1979; 40 mm.
Fig. 41. Cosmosoma rubriscapulae, Morne Catherine, at light,
5.v.2022, R. Deo (iNaturalist observation 115722850); ©, with
permission.
Cosmosoma rubriscapulum [sic] Kaye: Zerny (1912)
Historical notes. Kaye (1901) described and illustrated
this species based on a specimen ‘ying gently by day in
Morrison Valley, beginning of July 1898 (W.J. Kaye)’,
and the same information is repeated in Kaye and Lamont
(1927). This female holotype, labelled Trinidad but without
further location, is in NHMUK. Fleming (1957) recorded
three males and three females from Simla. Identied by
comparison with the type (NHMUK, ♀ Trinidad) and
NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. Not in BOLD. We include gures
of the body details (Appendix Fig. 6) and male genitalia
(Appendix Fig. 28) for this species described from Trinidad.
Identication. This species has short red streaks on the
base of the dorsal forewing, is extensively red on the thorax
and dorso-laterally on abdominal segment 1, and dorso-
lateral rows of metallic blue spots on the abdomen. The
25
sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. Life history unknown. Most
specimens were captured attracted to light.
Status in Trinidad. An occasional species in both forested
and suburban habitats.
Cosmosoma subamma (Walker, 1854)
Figs. 42–43, Appendix Figs. 7, 29.
OD: Walker 1854: Glaucopissubamma, TL Brazil.
TT: Cosmosoma subamma subamma (Walker):
Kaye and Lamont (1927), Fleming (1957)
Historical notes. Kaye and Lamont (1927) listed this
species based on specimens from Verdant Vale, x.1918,
at light (F.W. Urich) and Palmiste, 28.v.1921 (N.L.). The
latter has been examined in NMS. The former has not
been located, although it may well be the damaged female
from Kaye’s collection in MGCL. Fleming (1957) recorded
a male from Simla. Identied by comparison with the
NHMUK series and Cerda (2008).
Fig. 42. Male Cosmosoma subamma, Curepe, to Heliotropium by night, 29.viii.1981; 35 mm.
Fig. 43. Male Cosmosoma subamma, Penal, 24.ix.2014, K.
Sookdeo; ©, with permission.
Taxonomic issues. We have examined an image of the
holotype of C.subamma (NHMUK, ♀ Brazil); it is dark,
with the blue metallic spots of the dorsal abdomen hardly
apparent, and the hind legs appear to be dark. Walker (1854)
stated that the ‘femora towards the base and coxae [are]
red; hind tibiae and hind tarsi red above’. Hampson (1898)
only knew the holotype and described the legs as ‘black,
the femora and hind tibiae and tarsi striped with scarlet’.
Herrich-Schäer [1854] (in Herrich-Schäer 1850–
[1858]) named Laemocharis panopes from Venezuela
based upon an illustration – his g. 243, which resembles C.
subamma except that the hind legs (the only ones shown)
are uniformly pale orange. However, the holotype (MNB,
♀ Venezuela) appears to have dark hind legs. Zerny (1931b)
treated L. panopes a synonym of C.subamma.
Schaus (1896) described C. lucia from St. Lucia and
stated that the legs are red. Hampson (1898) examined the
type and described the ‘mid and hind femora, tibiae and
tarsi’ as black (in error for red), ‘the hind femora and at
extremity and tibiae at base black’. Hampson (1898) and
Draudt (1915–1917) treated C. lucia as a subspecies of C.
subamma, while Zerny (1912) considered it a variety of
C.subamma, based on which Cerda (2008) treated it as a
synonym of C.subamma.
Compared to material from Trinidad in MJWC (Fig.
42), Cerda’s (2008) gure has the iridescent blue of the
dorsal abdomen reduced and the legs more yellow, but the
genitalia (Appendix Fig. 29) appear the same. At this stage,
we are uncertain as to the status of the three names. Material
from Trinidad is closest in appearance to lucia, but whether
lucia is a separate valid species is not clear. Unfortunately,
the holotypes of subamma and panopes are both female,
and the type localities (Brazil and Venezuela) are vague, so
resolving this will not be straightforward. Accordingly, we
refer to this species from Trinidad as C.subamma, in line
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
26 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
with the treatment of Cerda (2008).
Identication. The bright red hind legs and basal parts of
the other legs are distinctive, but note also the dorsal row
of iridescent blue spots on the abdomen, posterior margin
of thorax and head. The sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. One male was attracted to heliotrope
by night, but most records have been of individuals attracted
to light. The sexes are similar.
Status in Trinidad. An uncommon species in Trinidad,
mostly recorded from forested areas.
Cosmosoma teuthras Walker, 1854
Fig. 44.
OD: Walker 1854: Glaucopis teuthras, TL Venezuela (and
Brazil).
Historical notes. A new record for Trinidad, identied
by comparison with the type (NHMUK, ♂ Venezuela) and
NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. This species appears in BOLD as
BOLD:AAA1312, incorporating several distinct separately
named subclusters. The largest of these includes material
from Central America south to Paraguay is mostly identied
as C. teuthras; and given the Venezuela type locality is
probably correctly associated with this name, which can
be applied to the Trinidad population.
Identication. This species is extensively red on the
dorsal head, thorax and dorsal forewing, including a bar
across the end of the cell, which is not seen in any other
Trinidad species. The female has not been documented
from Trinidad, but the sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. The only Trinidad male was attracted
to MV light.
Status in Trinidad. Just one record from the forest of
Inniss Field.
DIXOPHLEBIA BUTLER, 1876
Type species: Pseudomya quadristrigata Walker, 1865, TL
Fig. 44. Male Cosmosoma teuthras, Inniss Field, MVL, 17.v.1999; 37 mm.
Fig. 45. Male Dixophlebia holophaea, Grand Tacarib, at light, 29
August 2015, K. Sookdeo; ©, with permission.
Brazil, Ega.
Dixophlebia holophaea Hampson, 1909
Fig. 45.
OD: Hampson 1909: Dixophlebia holophaea, TL Guyana.
TT: Dixophlebia holophaea Hampson: Fleming (1957)
Historical notes. Fleming (1957) recorded two males from
Simla. Identied by comparison with the type (NHMUK, ♂
Guyana, photo) and NHMUK series (none from Trinidad).
Taxonomic issues. There are no public sequences in BOLD.
Identication. This species has a disproportionately heavy
and long abdomen compared to other Euchromiina and
Ctenuchina, although this habitus may initially suggest this
species belongs to some other family. We are not familiar
with the female.
Biology in Trinidad. One record at light.
Status in Trinidad. A rare species recorded from the
forested Northern Range.
DYCLADIA FELDER 1874
Type species: Dycladia correbioides Felder, 1874, TL
27
Colombia, Bogota.
Dycladia basimacula Schaus, 1924
Figs. 46–48.
OD: Schaus 1924: Dycladia basimacula, TL Caura Valley,
Venezuela (also from Trinidad).
TT: Dycladia correbioides Felder: Kaye and Lamont (1927)
[misidentication]
Dycladia basimacula Schaus: Schaus (1924), Fleming
(1957)
Historical notes. Kaye and Lamont (1927) recorded
Dycladia correbioides from Trinidad, based on specimens
from Palmiste, collected 7.i.1921 and 25.iv.1921 by Sir
Norman Lamont. We have not located these specimens,
but there are two specimens of D. basimacula from the
Lamont collection in RSM, which he had identied as D.
correbioides. We therefore agree with Fleming (1957)
who suggested Kaye and Lamont (1927) had misidentied
this species, and that D. correbioides (described from
Central America, Colombia) is not a Trinidad species. Five
specimens in Lamont’s collection in UWIZM are curated
as D. correbioides, but these all are Lycomorphodes
tortricina Rothschild (Arctiinae, Lithosiini). Fleming
(1957) reported four male D. basimacula from Simla.
MJWC identied this species from the type (USNM, ♂
Venezuela) and Fleming (1957).
Taxonomic issues. The type has a yellow lateral stripe
on the abdomen that is not always present on Trinidad
specimens. No sequences in BOLD.
Identication. This species shares its colouring
and general pattern with three species of Ctenuchina
(Correbidia assimilis (Rothschild), Pionia lycoides
(Walker) and an unnamed species of Pionea) and two
of Lithosiini (Lycomorphodes bipartita (Walker) and L.
tortricina), and all are involved in a mimicry ring with
Calopteron spp. (Lycidae) beetles. Dycladia basimacula
rests with its wings held at an angle rather than with the
costa of each forewing parallel, or nearly so. Furthermore,
the distal yellow band of the forewing of D. basimacula
is angled, turning to meet the termen in the middle rather
than continuing to the dorsum as in the other mentioned
species. The sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. All captures that include details
were taken at light.
Status in Trinidad. An uncommon species found in both
Fig. 46. Male Dycladia basimacula, Curepe, MVL, 19–25.x.1981; 26 mm.
Fig. 47. Female Dycladia basimacula, Curepe, MVL, 21–31.i.1982; 27 mm.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
28 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 48. Dycladia basimacula, Mt. Hope, 5.v.2021, bellbird20
(iNaturalist observation 77557912); ©, with permission.
forested and suburban areas.
Dycladia correbioides Felder (see D. basimacula Schaus)
HETERODONTIA FELDER, 1874
Type species: Heterodontia tricolor Felder, 1874, TL Brazil,
Amazon River. Kirby (1892) listed this as a valid genus,
with just the one species, but Hampson (1898) placed
Heterodontia as a synonym of Chrostosoma Hübner, 1821
(type species Sphinx echemus Stoll, 1781). Subsequent
authors followed Hampson, until Grados (1999) reintroduced
Heterodontia as a separate genus without comment, making
several new combinations in the process. Cerda (2008)
accepted Grados’ action as re-establishing the genus and
perpetuated the situation. The available sequences in BOLD
do not oer much support for this split.
Heterodontia fenestrina (Butler, 1876)
Figs. 49–52.
OD: Butler 1876: Pseudomya fenestrina, TL Brazil, Pará,
Rio Trombetas.
TT: Chrostosoma viridipunctatum Rothschild: Fleming
(1957) [misidentication]
Heterodontia fenestrina (Butler): Cerda (2008)
Historical notes. Fleming (1957) recorded 5♂ and 4♀ from
Simla, Arima Valley as C. viridipunctatum. MJWC initially
identied this species as C. viridipunctatum by comparison
with the type (NHMUK, ♀ Bolivia) and NHMUK series,
but noted that it might prove to be C. fenestrina Butler (type,
NHMUK, ♂ Brazil). Cerda (2008) transferred C. fenestrina
from Chrostosoma to Heterodontia, listed a record of H.
fenestrina from Arima (May) and suggested that Fleming’s
(1957) records of C. viridipunctatum are misidentications
for this species. We follow this treatment here.
Taxonomic issues. It is anticipated that this species will
fall within BOLD:AAJ5313 (H. fenestrina from French
Guiana). One female in NHMUK has metallic green
spots on the dorsolateral abdomen (Fig. 51), but does not
otherwise appear to dier.
Identication. This species has translucent rather than
transparent areas on the wings, which extend nearly three-
quarters of the length of the forewing, and are interrupted
by a dark bar from the tornus to the end of the cell. These
features, in combination with a red spot at the anterior
base of each forewing and a dorsal red spot on abdominal
segment 1 should serve to recognize this species. The sexes
are similar, except the female has less pointed wings, and
the form with green spots on the abdomen has only been
observed in a female.
Biology in Trinidad. Adults are attracted to light.
Fig. 49. Male Heterodontia fenestrina, Cumaca Road, 4.6 miles, MVL, 18.vii.1981; 28 mm.
29
Fig. 50. Female Heterodontia fenestrina, Morne Bleu, Textel Installation, at light, 3.vii.1978; 30 mm.
Fig. 51. Female Heterodontia fenestrina (green metallic markings
dorso-laterally on abdomen), Tabaquite [NHMUK]; ©, The Trustees
of the Natural History Museum, London, made available under
Creative Commons License 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/4.0/
Fig. 52. Male Heterodontia fenestrina, Inniss Field, by night,
18.vii.2021, R. Deo (iNaturalist observation 87936944); ©, with
permission.
Status in Trinidad. An occasional species in forested areas
HISTIOEA WALKER, 1854
Type species: Euchromia proserpina Hübner, 1823, TL
Brazil. This genus has been misspelt as Histiaea (Watson
et al. 1980).
Histioea cepheus (Cramer, 1780)
Figs. 53–56. BIN: BOLD:ABZ8247.
OD: Cramer 1780: Sphinx cepheus, TL Suriname.
TT: Histiaea [sic] cepheus (Cramer): Hampson (1898),
Zerny (1912), Draudt (1915–1917), Beebe and Kenedy
(1957), Dunning (1968)
Histiaea [sic] cephus [sic] (Cramer): Fleming (1950)
Histioea cepheus (Cramer): Kaye (1901), Cerda (2008)
Histaea [sic] cepheus (Cramer): Blest (1964)
Historical notes. A specimen captured by W.E. Broadway
at the Botanic Gardens, Port of Spain, is referred to by
Hampson (1898), Kaye (1901) and Kaye and Lamont (1927).
This specimen is in NHMUK, although the data label does
not mention the Botanic Gardens. Kaye and Lamont
(1927) also listed a specimen from the edge of the Queen’s
Park Savannah, Port of Spain, 21.xi.1920 (W.J. Kaye);
this specimen is in MGCL from the W.J. Kaye collection.
Fleming (1957) recorded 46 males and 17 females from
Simla. Identied by comparison with the NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. Cramer (1777–1782, plate 197E) shows
the dorsal forewing of this species with the basal streak,
postdiscal line in space 1 (Cu2-2A) and the spot at the end
of the cell all pink, and two distinct blue spots beyond the
end of the cell. Gernaat et al. (2018) designated a lectotype
from Suriname for H. cepheus It diers from Cramer’s
gure in that the forewing blue spots are smaller, the pink
medial streak in space 1 (Cu
2
-2A) is more diuse, and there
are diuse pink streaks in space 1 (Cu2-2A) from near the
base to the distal end of the medial streak, and in the cell
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
30 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 53. Male Histioea cepheus (BIN BOLD:ABZ8247), Arima Valley, Simla, xii.2020 (S. Alston-Smith) [DNA MJWC-499]; 56 mm.
Fig. 54. Female Histioea cepheus(?) (BIN BOLD:AAF0772, i.e. H. proserpina), Arima Valley, Simla, at light, xii.2020 (S. Alston-Smith)
[DNA MJWC-498]; 65 mm.
Fig. 55. Female Histioea cepheus (no DNA barcode), Arima Valley, Simla, at light, xii.2020 (S. Alston-Smith); 66 mm.
Fig. 56. Male Histioea cepheus (no DNA barcode), Arima Valley, Asa
Wright, 7.xi.2016, P. Sullivan (iNaturalist observation 19677104);
©, under CC-BY-NC.
against the cubitus from near the base to the basal end of the
medial streak; the dorsal hindwing markings are pink rather
than red, but this may reect that the lectotype has faded;
the distal spots of the ventral hindwing of the lectotype are
pinkish yellow. Trinidad specimens (Figs. 53, 55) resemble
this lectotype. Sequences in BOLD as H. cepheus from
Venezuela and French Guiana appear in BOLD:ABZ8247.
These specimens from French Guiana dier from Trinidad
material in that (1) on the dorsal forewing, the basal streak,
postdiscal spot in space 1 (Cu2-2A) and the spot at the end
of the cell are more clearly delineated and red not pink, and
(2) the distal spot on the ventral hindwing is red rather than
yellow. One specimen from Venezuela in BOLD:ABZ8247
is identied as H. monticola Klages and resembles the
Trinidad material. Histioea monticola was described from
31
the Suapure Mountains, Venezuela (Klages 1906) and
the type is in the USNM (examined), but this taxon has
been treated as a synonym of H. cepheus since Hampson
(1914). Given that BOLD:ABZ8247 occurs East and West
of the Suriname type locality, we suggest that the French
Guiana population represents a geographically separated,
phenotypically distinct form of H. cepheus.
Three DNA barcodes were obtained from Trinidad
material. Two (MJWC-493 and MJWC-499) formed part of
BIN BOLD:ABZ8247 from French Guiana and Venezuela,
i.e. H. cepheus, but a third (MJWC-498) formed part of BIN
BOLD:AAF0772, i.e. H. proserpina (Hübner, 1827) (TL
Brazil), which has a very dierent habitus and is known
from the Amazon. We have no immediate explanation for
this anomaly; there may have been some hybridization
in the past, which has persisted genetically in the female
mitochondria of H. cepheus, or perhaps C. proserpina
has a cepheus morph which occurs sympatrically with H.
cepheus.
Identication. The large size, sullied white forewing
spots and diuse pinkish markings on the forewing should
make this species easy to recognise. The sexes are similar,
although the female is a little larger.
Biology in Trinidad. R. Kenedy reared this species, but
unfortunately provided no information on the food plant or
early stages (Beebe and Kenedy 1957). Gernaat et al. (2018)
found eggs of H. cepheus on Olyra latifolia (Poaceae), but
the neonate caterpillars would not accept this food plant,
although they were successfully reared on a non-owering
Mikania sp. comparable to M. micrantha (Asteraceae), one
of eight plant species growing nearby which were oered.
For three years, Cock (1981, 1982) studied the herbivorous
insects associated with M. micrantha in Trinidad and the
Neotropics, but did not encounter this caterpillar, indicating
that M. micrantha is unlikely to be a normal food plant in
the wild.
The moths are nocturnal; they are not attracted to
heliotrope, and most records are at light, where males
make up about two-thirds of the records (Beebe and Kenedy
1957, author’s observations). Beebe and Kenedy (1957)
considered the moths to be unpalatable, and note that ‘when
a specimen is immobilized suddenly, … it has been seen
inmanycasestoexudedropletsofthickyellowuidfrom
the thorax. Sometimes the droplets are bubbly and almost
completely cover the dorsal thorax. This seems to serve as
aneectivedefenseagainstatleastsomepredators.’
Status in Trinidad. A common species in forested areas
but uncommon in suburban areas. It is the most commonly
photographed species of Euchromiina at the Asa Wright
Nature Centre. Hence, Beebe and Kenedy (1957), Blest
(1964) and Dunning (1968) used them in their behavioural
studies.
Histioea meldolae meldolae Butler, 1876
Figs. 57–58.
OD: Butler 1876: Histiaea [sic] meldolae, TL Trinidad,
Venezuela.
TT: Histiaea [sic] meldolae Butler: Butler (1876), Hampson
(1898), Zerny (1912), Draudt (1915–1917), Fleming
(1950), Fleming (1957)
Histioea meldolae Butler: Waterhouse (1881), Druce
(1881–1900), Kirby (1892), Kaye (1901), Kaye and
Lamont (1927)
Historical notes. Kaye (1901) included this species based
on the original description. Kaye and Lamont (1927) listed
ve specimens from Palmiste, collected by Sir Norman
Lamont (iii.1915, viii.1915, 11.xii.1916, 22.x.1918,
22.i.1922), several of which are listed in the Appendix.
Identied by comparison with the type (NHMUK, ?♀
Trinidad) and NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. Walker (1854) described H. bellatrix
(as Euchromia bellatrix) referring to ‘an abbreviated yellow
band beyond, the blue dots in the disk’ and two un-named
varieties, one (implicitly var. β) with the yellow band
comprising four yellow spots and the other (var. γ) with
three yellow spots. It is not clear how the ve specimens
listed from Venezuela (three from Mr. Dyson’s collection
and two from M. Becker’s collection) relate to the three
Fig. 57. Male Histioea meldolae meldolae, Hollis Reservoir, 2.ix.1978; 60 mm.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
32 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 58. Female Histioea meldolae meldolae, Parrylands Oileld, MVL, 25.vii.1981; 60 mm.
dierent forms. Butler (1876) described H. meldolae
referring to Walker’s var. with three yellow spots (i.e. var.
γ), and based on specimens from Trinidad (coll. Meldola)
and Venezuela (colls. Dyson & Becker). By implication
the specimens from the Dyson and Becker collections are
some of the ve to which Walker referred. Raphael Meldola
(1849–1915) was a chemist and biologist who wrote on
mimicry and evolution, but we have found no information
to suggest he ever visited Trinidad himself (Marchant 1916),
although four collections that included Meldola Trinidad
Lepidoptera were donated to OUMNH in 1897 and 1901
(OUMNH 2022). Given that Butler named the species
after Meldola, whose specimen(s) were from Trinidad, this
should be taken as the primary type locality, and Hampson
(1898) explicitly referred to the type being from Trinidad,
eectively designating the Trinidad specimen curated as type
in NHMUK to be the lectotype. Lesieur and Lévêque (2017)
described H. meldolae hoyaensis Lesieur from Panama, and
so the trinomial is used for the Trinidad population.
Identication. The large size, yellow-white spots and long
red streaks on the forewing make this species unmistakeable.
The sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. Not attracted to drying heliotrope.
Where recorded, adults were captured at light.
Status in Trinidad. An occasional species, mostly from
forested areas.
HOMOEOCERA FELDER, 1874
Type species: Homoeocera crassa Felder, 1874, TL
Colombia, Bogota. Laguerre (2014) treated some parts of
this paraphyletic genus.
Homoeocera magnolimbata Dognin, 1911
Fig. 59.
OD: Dognin 1911: Homoeocera magnolimbata, TL French
Guiana
TT: Homoeocera magnolimbata Dognin: Kaye and Lamont
(1927), Fleming (1957)
Historical notes. First recorded from Trinidad by Kaye
and Lamont (1927), referring to a specimen from St. Ann’s,
21.x.1899, collected by F.W. Urich. This male specimen
was in W.J. Kaye’s collection, and is now in MGCBL.
Identied by comparison with the type (USNM, ♀ French
Guyana) and NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. No sequences in BOLD. Cerda (2008)
was uncertain about the identity of Trinidad records of this
species. Figures of Trinidad specimens (Figs. 59) are a good
match to Cerda’s (2008, Fig. 016) and to the type, so there
seems no reason to question this identication.
Identication. This is a large species, with transparent
wings and a mostly even narrow black margin, and a dark
Fig. 59. Homoeocera magnolimbata. Left, male, Trinidad, 1909 [NHMUK]; ©, The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London,
made available under Creative Commons License 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Right, female, Moreau, 2.iii.1938
[N. Lamont] [NMS]; 40 mm; photo V. Blagoderov; © NMS, with permission.
33
bar at the end of the forewing cell. It is comparable to
Nyridela acroxantha, but in that species the dark bar across
the end of the forewing cell runs across the wing to the
tornus. The sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. Nothing reported. Sir Norman
Lamont captured a specimen at Moreau in March (location
uncertain, but a forested area in the South of Trinidad where
Lamont collected butteries) and R.W. Farmborough
collected one at forest roadside in the Rock-Penal Moruga
area in September, which suggests this is a day-ying
species captured feeding at owers such as eupatorium.
Status in Trinidad. A rare species from forested areas, and
no records since 1938.
HYPOCHARIS HAMPSON, 1898
Type species: Laemocharis clusia Druce, 1897, TL Brazil,
Amazon River. Cerda (2008) moved several species
from Saurita into Hypocharis, taking into consideration
similarities in the male genitalia.
Hypocharis arimensis (Fleming, 1957)
Figs. 60–62, Appendix Figs. 8, 30.
OD: Fleming 1957: Saurita arimensis, TL Trinidad.
TT: Saurita lacteata (Butler): Kaye (1901), Zerny (1912),
Draudt (1915–1917), Kaye and Lamont (1927)
[misidentication]
Saurita arimensis Fleming: Fleming (1957)
Fig. 60. Male Hypocharis arimensis, Inniss Field, MVL, 17.v.1999; 23 mm.
Hypocharis arimensis (Fleming): Cerda (2008)
Historical notes. Fleming (1957) described Hypocharis
arimensis (as Saurita arimensis) based on seven males
from the Arima Valley, Trinidad, pointing out that it is
not the same as H. lacteata Butler, 1877 (TL Amazons).
Earlier authors had reported this species from Trinidad as
lacteata (Kaye 1901, Kaye and Lamont 1927). Identied
by comparison with a paratype (NHMUK, ♂ Trinidad) and
from Fleming (1957).
Taxonomic issues. No public sequences in BOLD. An
image of the holotype is available online (AMNH 2022).
Cerda (2008) transferred this species from Saurita to
Hypocharis. Dissection of a Trinidad male (Appendix Fig.
30) conrmed that this is the species that Cerda (2008)
treated and illustrated under this name.
Identication. This species has translucent areas on both
wings; the forewing with the apex, a patch at the end of the
cell and a rectangle at the tornus black. When combined
with the red lines on the tegulae and the white patch on the
basal dorsal abdomen, it is distinctive.
Biology in Trinidad. This species seems to y by night
only, when it is attracted to light.
Status in Trinidad. A fairly common, widespread species,
Fig. 61. Female Hypocharis arimensis, Rio Claro-Guayaguayare Road, milestone 6.5, MVL, 30.ix.1978; 27 mm.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
34 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
mainly in forested areas.
Hypocharis clusia (Druce, 1897)
Figs. 63–65.
OD: Druce 1897: Laemocharis clusia, TL Amazons,
Maranham [Maranhão]
TT: Hypocharis clusia (Druce): Kaye and Lamont (1927)
Saurita clusia (Druce): Beebe and Kenedy (1957),
Fig. 62. Male Hypocharis arimensis, Penal, at light, 24.i.2014,
K. Sookdeo; ©, with permission.
Fleming (1957), Blest (1964)
Historical notes. Kaye and Lamont (1927) recorded this
species from Sangre Grande (25.viii.1917, Turner), St.
Ann’s (i.1922), Manzanilla (22.iii.1922, F.W. Jackson)
and Palmiste (23.iii.1922, N. Lamont). MJWC examined
all except the last of these in OUMNH and MGCL (ex.
W.J. Kaye collection) as listed in the Appendix. Identied
by comparison with the type (NHMUK, ♂) and NHMUK
series.
Taxonomic issues. Fleming (1957) considered Hypocharis
to be a synonym of Saurita. Betz (1972) either ignored
this or reverted to Hypocharis without a formal taxonomic
act, and this has been followed by subsequent authors
(Cerda 2008). Fleming (1957) discussed the identity of
this species in relation to material of a smaller species from
Panama that Forbes (1939) identied as H. clusia. Cerda
(2008) concludes that Forbes’ material was misidentied. In
BOLD, there are sequences of material that appears to be H.
clusia from Costa Rica and Guatemala in BOLD:AAX2185,
from French Guiana in BOLD:ADZ2339, and from Peru
in BOLD:AAG6272. Provisionally we anticipate that
BOLD:AAX2185 is the species that Forbes treated from
Panama, and that Trinidad sequences when available will
form part of BOLD:ADZ2339, which may be the BIN for
Fig. 63. Male Hypocharis clusia, Brigand Hill, MVL, 28.iii.2003; 27 mm.
Fig. 64. Female Hypocharis clusia, Valencia Forest, MVL, 5.viii.1981; 32 mm.
35
Fig. 65. Male Hypocharis clusia, Arima Valley, Asa Wright Nature
Centre, 5.iii.2018, G. Barrett (iNaturalist observation 107614385);
©, under CC-BY-NC.
Fig. 66. Female Hypocharis tenebrosa, Arima Valley, Simla, MVL, 6.viii.1982; 24 mm.
which the name H. clusia is appropriate.
Identication. A large part of the distal forewing is slightly
translucent, almost opaque, sullied white with dark veins,
although less extensive in the female. This combined with
red lines on the tegulae and red spots at the anterior base of
the forewings and dorsally on abdominal segment 1 should
serve to recognize this species.
Biology in Trinidad. The moths are nocturnal; they are not
attracted to heliotrope and almost all captures are at light,
the great majority being males (Beebe and Kenedy 1957,
author’s observations).
Status in Trinidad. Kaye and Lamont (1927) considered
this species ‘apparently widely spread but never common’.
The records available suggest it occurs in diverse disturbed
habitats.
Hypocharis tenebrosa Cerda, 2017
Figs. 66–67.
OD: Cerda 2017: Hypocharis tenebrosa, TL French Guiana.
Historical notes. This is a new record for Trinidad.
Taxonomic issues. What appears to be this species appears
in the USNM main collection as Psilopleura sanguipuncta
Hampson but the wings look smokier than that species (type
examined, NHMUK ♂, Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul). It may
also be in NHMUK, where an all-male series from the
Guianas is over a blank label. Visually, it is a good match
to H. tenebrosa, which Cerda (2017) recently described
from French Guiana, based on males only. The male is
unknown from Trinidad, but the male type material of
H. tenebrosa from French Guiana is very similar to the
Trinidad female (Fig. 66). Males from Trinidad need to be
obtained, dissected and compared with the gures in Cerda
(2017), to test this provisional identication.
Identication. This is a small species with uniformly
smoky wings, a red spot at the anterior base of the forewing
and a red line on each tegula.
Biology in Trinidad. One capture at Simla at light and a
photographic record from Brasso Seco.
Status in Trinidad. A rare species, but it could be easily
overlooked.
ISANTHRENE HÜBNER, [1819]
Type species: Glaucopis incendiaria Hübner, 1809, TL not
Fig. 67. Female Hypocharis tenebrosa, Brasso Seco, 16.iv.2022, A.
Deacon (iNaturalist observation 111996965); ©, under CC-BY-NC.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
36 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
I. melas.
Identication. This large wasp mimic is the only Trinidad
species with transparent yellow wings. Only two female
specimens are known. The dorso-lateral yellow marks on
abdominal segments 3 and 4 are minimal in the holotype.
Biology in Trinidad. MJWC’s specimen was captured on
a sunny day on Lalaja Ridge using a net; it was in ight,
resembling a large wasp, but fortunately he caught it ‘just to
make sure’. Bryan Ramdeen photographed an adult moth
trapped in a web of the golden silk orb-weaver spider,
Trichonephila clavipes (Linnaeus) (Araneidae) in Tucker
Valley (Fig. 69).
Status in Trinidad. A very rarely seen species, probably
Fig. 68. Female Isanthrene tryhanei. Above, holotype, St. Ann’s (F.E. Tryhane) [NHMUK]; ©, The Trustees of the Natural History
Museum, London, made available under Creative Commons License 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Below, Lalaja
Ridge, 5.iii.1979; 51 mm.
Fig. 69. Isanthrene tryhanei, caught by Trichonephila clavipes
spider, Tucker Valley, 20 August 2022, B. Ramdeen (iNaturalist
observation 131662148); ©, with permission.
stated.
Isanthrene tryhanei Rothschild, 1911
Figs. 68–69.
OD: Rothschild 1911: Isanthrene tryhanei, TL Trinidad,
St Ann’s, ♀.
TT: Isanthrene tryhanei Rothschild: Rothschild (1911),
Zerny (1912), Hampson (1914), Draudt (1915–1917),
Kaye and Lamont (1927)
Isanthrene tryphanei [sic] Rothschild: Rothschild
(1913)
Historical notes. This species was described and illustrated
from a female from St. Ann’s, Port of Spain (Rothschild
1911, 1913) and the holotype is the only specimen
in NHMUK. Identied by comparison with the type
(NHMUK, ♀ Trinidad).
Taxonomic issues. No public sequences in BOLD. The
male is unknown. Only the rst pair of sub-dorsal yellow
abdominal spots are clear on the type, compared to three
in the specimen in MJWC (Fig. 68). In this regard, the
MJWC specimen resembles the species treated as I. melas
(Cramer) by Cerda (2008, Fig. 017), although the thorax
of I. melas is more extensively marked in yellow, and the
hindwings of I. melas are almost colourless, unlike those
of I. tryhanei which are yellow, matching the forewings. It
seems possible that if genitalia and/or DNA barcodes were
compared, I. tryhanei would be found to be a synonym of
37
associated with forest areas.
LEUCOTMEMIS BUTLER, 1876
Type species: Glaucopis latilinea Walker, 1854, TL Brazil.
Leucotmemis nexa (Herrich-Schäer, 1854)
Fig. 70.
OD: Herrich-Schäer 1854, p. 73: Glaucopis nexa, TL
Brazil, Santarem.
TT: Leucotmemis nexa (Herrich-Schäer): Kaye and
Lamont (1927)
Historical notes. Kaye and Lamont (1927) listed records
from St. Ann’s, 18.ix.1899 (F.W. Urich); Palmiste, 9.ix.1917
(N. Lamont); Rock-Penal Road 1.i.1918 (N. Lamont),
14.i.1921 (W.J. Kaye). Of these, MJWC located the two
Lamont specimens (in NMS), and the last, which is in MGCL
(ex W.J. Kaye coll.). Leucotmemis nexa was identied by
comparison with the NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. Herrich-Schäer (1850–1858, g. 254,
p. 73), referred to this species as Glaucopis nexa, but treated
it as a synonym of G. phlegmon Cramer, 1775 (although
Herrich-Schäer incorrectly refers to Walker as the author
of phlegmon). The species Herrich-Schäer illustrated as
nexa is not the same as Cramer’s phlegmon, but at this point,
the name was not validly published (ICZN Article 11.6: A
name which when rst published in an available work was
treated as a junior synonym of a name then used as valid is not
thereby made available). However, Kirby (1892) treated both
names as separate valid species making the name available
with the original authorship (ICZN Article 11.6.1: However,
if such a name published as a junior synonym had been
treated before 1961 as an available name and either adopted
as the name of a taxon or treated as a senior homonym, it is
made available thereby but dates from its rst publication
as a synonym.). Fleming (1957) suggested this species is
probably misplaced in Leucotmemis. Many sequences in
BOLD from Costa Rica form BIN BOLD:AAA1328, and
a small number of additional sequences from Mexico, Peru
Fig. 70. Leucotmemis nexa ♂. Left, male, Penal-Rock Road, 14.i.1921 (W.J. Kaye) [MGCL, ex coll. Kaye]. Right, female, Siparia, Palo
Seco, mostly cacao, 14.i.1917 (R.W. Farmborough) [OUMNH]
and Bolivia are grouped in the same BIN, suggesting this
will prove to be a single, widespread Neotropical species.
Identication. This species supercially resembles the
Calonotos spp. with green metallic stripes on the abdomen.
However, rather than a single post-medial white spot it has
an extended bar, crossed by four dark veins.
Biology in Trinidad. Nothing known from Trinidad.
Status in Trinidad. A rare species in Trinidad, with only
four records from more than 100 years ago in forested areas
of the south.
LOXOPHLEBIA BUTLER, 1876
Type species: Poecilosoma vesparis Butler, TL Peru.
Loxophlebia bisigna (Kaye, 1911)
Figs. 71–73.
OD: Kaye 1911: Pheia bisigna, TL Guyana.
TT: Loxophlebia bisigna (Kaye): Kaye and Lamont (1927),
Fleming (1957)
Loxophlebia klagesi Rothschild: Rothschild (1911),
Zerny (1912), Draudt (1915–1917) [?synonym]
Loxophlebia clagesi [sic] Rothschild: Hampson (1914)
[?synonym]
Historical notes. Kaye and Lamont (1927) included L.
bisigna from Trinidad based only on Rothschild’s (1911)
type series of L. klagesi, which they treat as a synonym.
Fleming (1957) mentioned three specimens from Simla.
MJWC examined the NHMUK series of L. bisigna and
type of L. klagesi (NHMUK ♂ Suriname); see comments
in next section.
Taxonomic issues. Kaye (1911) described L. bisigna from
British Guiana (type in MGCL, ex coll. W.J. Kaye, not
examined). Two months later, Rothschild (1911) described
L. klagesi from Suriname (TL), Venezuela and Trinidad
(♂ ‘Caporo’, i.e. Caparo). Rothschild (1911) noted that
the Trinidad male has a scarlet lateral dot on A4, and two
Venezuelan males have subdorsal scarlet patches on A3–A4,
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
38 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
which are absent in the Suriname material, and in L. bisigna.
Draudt (1915–1917, pp. 61, 63) suggested that L. klagesi
may be a synonym of L. bisigna, but in the corrections
(p. 199) seems to have decided otherwise. Nevertheless,
Draudt’s original suggestion has been accepted by
subsequent authors (Kaye and Lamont 1927, Fleming 1957,
Cerda 2008). Loxophlebia bisigna has red markings at the
base of the dorsal forewing which are absent in the NHMUK
series of L. klagesi, and L. klagesi has red spots on the
abdomen as stated by Rothschild (1911), but absent in L.
bisigna. Loxophlebia crusmatica Dognin (type USNM, ♂
French Guiana) appears identical but does have red spots on
the abdomen; Cerda (2008) made it a synonym of L. bisigna.
Fleming’s three Trinidad specimens as well as those that
we have examined from Trinidad consistently have a red
lateral dot on A4, as noted by Rothschild (1911). MJWC
compared the externally visible genitalia of two Trinidad
males with those illustrated by Cerda (2008) from French
Guiana, and could see no dierence. We conclude that the
red spots lateral on A4 represent a local form of L. bisigna.
Sequences in BOLD from French Guiana form BIN
BOLD:ACF1201, but see comments under L. postavia
Fig. 71. Male Loxophlebia bisigna, Parrylands Oileld, to Heliotropium, 7.xi.1980; 23 mm.
Fig. 72. Female Loxophlebia bisigna, Parrylands Oileld, MVL, 25.vii.1981; 26 mm.
below.
Identication. This species supercially resembles some
Cosmosoma spp. and other genera with transparent wings.
It is the only Trinidad species with white subdorsal markings
on the posterior margin of the thorax and abdominal
segments 1 and 2. It is perhaps most similar to Pheia utica,
but that species (currently known from Tobago, but not
Trinidad) has the white subdorsal markings restricted to
abdominal segment 1, red streaks on the base of the dorsal
forewing and small metallic blue subdorsal spots on the
abdomen.
Biology in Trinidad. Adults of this species are attracted
to heliotrope by day, and light by night.
Status in Trinidad. An uncommon species mainly from
forested areas.
Loxophlebia diaphana (Sepp, 1848)
Figs. 74–76.
OD: Sepp 1848: Glaucopis diaphana, TL Suriname.
TT: Loxophlebia diaphana (Sepp): Kaye and Lamont
(1927), Fleming (1957), Cock (2017)
Mesothen aurantegula Jones: Kaye and Lamont
39
Fig. 73. Male Loxophlebia bisigna, Penal, at light, 18.iv.2014, K.
Sookdeo; ©, with permission.
(1927), Fleming (1957) [misidentication]
Historical notes. Kaye and Lamont (1927) listed a specimen
of L. diaphana from Palmiste, 12.i.1921 (N. Lamont); this
specimen is a male, now in NMS. Kaye and Lamont (1927)
also listed a specimen of Mesothen aurantegula Jones
from Palmiste, 17.i.1922 (N. Lamont). This specimen is
a female L. diaphana in NMS, labelled as M. aurantegula
by Sir Norman Lamont. Mesothen aurantegula, identied
by comparison with the type (NHMUK, ♀ Brazil, São
Paulo) and NHMUK series, resembles the female of L.
diaphana and does not occur in Trinidad. Curiously, there
are four male and three female Valvaminor jacerda which
Kaye identied as L. diaphana, and are now in MGCL
from Kaye’s collection (see Appendix listings under V.
jacerda). Fleming (1957) did not record L. diaphana (or
M. aurantegula) from Simla. Identied by comparison with
the type of discifera Walker (NHMUK, ♂ Para), a synonym,
and NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. The NHMUK series comprises males
only. The orange lateral stripes on most of this material
is wider than in Trinidad specimens, and the spots on the
patagia are less red. Cerda (2008) associated males and
females, when he made the female L. geminata Schaus (TL
French Guiana) a synonym of L. diaphana. It is possible
Fig. 74. Male Loxophlebia diaphana, Maracas Bay, to Heliotropium by day, 29.iii.2003, 22 mm.
Fig. 75. Female Loxophlebia diaphana, Parrylands Oileld, to Heliotropium, 7.xi.1980, 20 mm.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
40 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 76. Male Loxophlebia diaphana, Carapachaima, at light,
6.ix.2020, R. Deo (iNaturalist observation 58837939); ©, with
permission.
Fig. 77. Male Loxophlebia postavia, Suriname, S.M. Klages
[NHMUK]; ©, The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London,
made available under Creative Commons License 4.0 https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
that M. aurantegula is also the female of L. diaphana, the
range of which extends to Paraguay according to Cerda
(2008). However, this does not need to be resolved here
as the name L. diaphana is senior and can be used for
Trinidad material. A specimen from Suriname is in BIN
BOLD:AAX6550, along with two others identied as L.
imitata from Panama.
Identication. This small Euchromiina shows strong sexual
dimorphism. The male has an unusual orange line from the
red patagia across the thorax and laterally on the abdomen,
not seen in any other Trinidad species. The female has the
patagia red, but no orange line. It supercially resembles
Valvaminor species but none have red patagia.
Biology in Trinidad. Kaye and Lamont (1927) included
a brief description of the caterpillar on Serjania sp. or
Paullinia sp. (Sapindaceae), but this is not based on
observations in Trinidad, but rather is copied from Hampson
(1898), which was probably based on Sepp (1843–1848).
This is a day-ying species, mostly captured when attracted
to heliotrope.
Status in Trinidad and Tobago. An uncommon but
widespread species.
Loxophlebia postavia Druce, 1898
Fig. 77.
OD: Druce 1898: Loxophlebia postavia, TL French
Guyana [OUMNH].
Historical notes. The only records of this species from
Trinidad are two specimens reported by Fleming (1957).
Fleming refers to the NHMUK collection containing
material from the Guianas, one of which is illustrated here
(Fig. 77).
Taxonomic issues. Sequences from French Guiana (the
type locality) form part of BOLD:ACF1201, along with
sequences for L. bisigna (above), suggesting that the two
could be forms of the same species. If that is conrmed, L.
postavia would be the older name and have precedence.
Identication. This distinctive species is the only one
from Trinidad that is black with mostly transparent wings
and the apex of the abdomen yellow-orange. Cerda (2008)
saw 28 specimens from French Guiana, and since he does
not mention sexual dimorphism, we assume there is none.
Alternatively, if L.postavia and L. bisigna are forms of
the same species, postavia may be restricted to the male.
Biology in Trinidad. Nothing known.
Status in Trinidad. Although Fleming (1957) did not state
this, by implication, his two specimens were collected at
Simla.
MACROCNEME HÜBNER 1818
Type species: Zygaena maja Fabricius, 1787, TL
‘America’. Our treatment is based on the revision of the
genus by Dietz (1994). As Dietz (1994) stated: ‘The
phenotype is essentially the same for every species. The
ground colour is brownish black, the hind legs are long
and plumose, the wings are variously patterned with blue
and/or green iridescence. All species possess white spots
on the tips of the antennae, on the frons, at the base of the
labial palpi, at the base of the wings (above and below), on
the abdominal venter and pleura, and on the rst abdominal
tergite.’
As noted by Kaye (1913), members of the genus
Macrocneme seem to be excellent mimics of fossorial or
pompilid wasps, especially the genera Salius and Pepsis.
Macrocneme thyra is wasp-like both in facies and in
behaviour. The wings and abdomen possess a metallic blue-
green sheen; the long hindlegs, more heavily scaled than is
usual in ctenuchids, are extended downward and backward
in ight. Kaye also noted that they wave their antennae and
41
vibrate their wings rapidly when alighted, and that they
settle usually, like fossorial wasps, on ground, bank or leaf.
Kaye and Lamont (1927) recognized three species of
Macrocneme from Trinidad: M. lades (Cramer), M. thyra
Möschler and M. eacus (Stoll) (an unavailable name,
see under Poliopastea errans). However, it is clear that
they were mixing species up, and none of their records
can be accepted at face value except by examination of
voucher material. Fleming (1957) recognized two species
of Macrocneme: M. thyra, and M. spinivalva Fleming and
three species which he placed in Macrocneme, which are
now placed in Poliopastea. Dietz (1994) revised the genus
and recognized M. aurifera Hampson (= M. spinivalva),
M. lades (= M. aurata), M. thyra (= M. thyra intacta) and
M. thyridia Hampson from Trinidad. Cerda (2008) only
examined Trinidad material of M. thyra. The treatment
here follows that of Dietz (1994). It should be noted that
the following are recorded from nearby in Venezuela or
Guyana by Dietz (1994): M. adonis Druce, M. semiviridis
Druce, M. coerulescens Dognin, M. durcata Dietz, and M.
orichalcea Dietz, and could occur in Trinidad.
Macrocneme thyra is the most common Macrocneme
species in Trinidad, M. lades is also frequent, but M.
thyridia and M. aurifera are at best occasional. The rst
two are regularly found at owers by day and attracted to
lights at night, and probably the same is true for the other
two, although there are not enough records with details to
assess this.
Identication. This is a challenging genus, and
dissection of the genitalia is necessary to conrm
identications. At this time, we are uncertain as to how
the DNA barcodes will reect our treatment, so more
sequences, particularly of the less common species would
help. We worked from the material in MJWC, comprising
males of all four species conrmed by examination of the
genitalia, three females of M. thyra conrmed by DNA
barcodes (Fig. 79), and additional females provisionally
associated with three of the four species. The following
comments are considered robust for M. thyra and M. lades
in Trinidad (but not elsewhere) but less so for M. thyridia
and M. aurifera.
There is little sexual dimorphism in the four Trinidad
species, mostly the ventral surface of the abdomen being
more extensively white in males. The sexes cannot be
reliably separated in images of living moths, although the
pectinations of the female antennae are slightly shorter.
Both sexes of M. lades have a uniform green-bronze
dorsal and lateral abdomen, the ground colour of the wings
is browner than in the other species, and the metallic
markings on the wings are consistently green-bronze.
Macrocneme thyridia has a uniformly blue-bronze dorsal
and lateral abdomen, and the metallic wing markings are
blue-green. Macrocneme thyra and M. aurifera both have
the abdomen black with contrasting blue-bronze dorsal and
lateral lines, and the wing markings metallic blue or green.
The ventral abdomen is extensively white in male M. thyra
making them relatively easy to recognise. However, this
is reduced to a narrow ventral line in female M. thyra and
male M. aurifera – as it is in M. thyridia and M. lades.
We have not identied any females from Trinidad as M.
aurifera, so hesitate to suggest how the females of M. thyra
and M. aurifera may be separated, but it may be that they
cannot be separated on habitus. We are not condent that
our treatment represents the nal word on this challenging
genus in Trinidad, so user beware!
Macrocneme albitarsia Hampson (see Poliopastea plumbea)
Macrocneme aurifera Hampson, 1914
Fig. 78, 80, Appendix Fig. 9.
OD: Hampson 1914: Macrocneme aurifera, TL Peru.
TT: Macrocneme spinivalva Fleming: Fleming (1957)
[synonym]
Macrocneme aurifera Hampson: Dietz (1994)
Historical notes. Fleming (1957) described M. spinivalva
from Trinidad, but Dietz (1994) synonymized it with M.
aurifera Hampson (type NMHUK, ♀ Peru), although he
used the name spinivalva to label material in NHMUK.
Dietz (1994) listed M. aurifera material from Arima Valley
(USNM), Ariapite Valley (NHMUK, USNM); Hololo
Mt. Road (Carnegie Museum); Maracas Valley, 150 ft
(NHMUK); Mt. Tucuche, 2-3000 ft (NHMUK); St. Ann’s
Valley (NHMUK); Tabaquite (NHMUK); and Trinidad
(NHMUK) (NHMUK material is included in the Appendix
listing). W.J. Kaye must have seen specimens of this species
as it is represented with contemporary material in NHMUK,
but they would have been understandably misidentied.
MJWC’s material was identied from Dietz (1994).
Taxonomic issues. Fleming (1957) described M. spinivalva
from Trinidad based on six males and 14 females; he
indicates that the holotype and paratype are in AMNH,
and three male and nine female paratypes were returned to
NHMUK. When Dietz (1994) synonymized M. spinivalva
with M. aurifera, no males of M. aurifera from Peru were
available to him, but he was able to associate the sexes based
on a mating pair in Fleming’s type series. Dietz (1994) also
noted that the females in Fleming’s type series were a mixed
series: the allotype appears to be M. lades, three others are
either M. thyra or M. thyridia (listed separately in Annex).
Identication. See under Macrocneme above.
Biology in Trinidad. It is expected that this species will
be found to y both by day and by night, when more
information is available.
Status in Trinidad. An occasional species, with no records
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
42 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 78. Male abdomens of the Trinidad Macrocneme spp., above in dorso-lateral view, below in ventral view; from left to right M. lades,
M. thyra, M. aurifera, M. thyridia. For other views and specimen details see Appendix Figs. 9–13.
as yet from the south of the island.
Macrocneme lades (Cramer, 1776)
Figs. 78, 79, 81–84, Appendix Figs. 10, 31.
OD: Cramer 1776: Sphinx lades, TL Suriname.
Walker 1854: Euchromia aurata, TL ? [synonym
according to Dietz (1994)]
TT: Macrocneme lades (Cramer): Kaye (1901)
[misidentication], Kaye and Lamont (1927) [mixed
species], Dietz (1994)
Historical notes. Kaye (1901) recorded this species based
on specimens in NHMUK taken by C.W. Ellacombe; the
only Macrocneme sp. in NHMUK taken by C.W. Ellacombe
is M. thyra. Kaye and Lamont (1927) listed several
specimens and considered this ‘a most variable species’, but
their material is a mixture of species including M. lades (e.g.
four specimens in coll. Lamont, UWIZM, as this species
appear to be a mixture of species). Fleming (1957) did not
recognize M. lades, but it seems likely that it was present
amongst his material of other species. Dietz (1994) listed
material from Manzanilla, Caparo, Ariapite, Port of Spain,
and Cedros. MJWC’s material (genitalia, Appendix Fig.
31) was identied from Dietz (1994).
Taxonomic issues. Dietz (1994) found that a distinctive
‘brown’ phenotype occurs in eastern Venezuela and the
Guianas, and by implication in Trinidad. He added ‘In this
brown phenotype, the apex of wings is slightly pallescent.
43
Fig. 79. Similarity tree for BOLD:AAA1397, including all available Trinidad sequences (highlighted). The main cluster, including TRIN108-21
to TRIN112-21 and probably TRIN107-21, is considered to represent T. thyra and the smaller cluster at the bottom including TRIN115-21
is considered to represent T. lades. The tree was inferred using the Neighbor-Joining method (Saitou and Nei 1987). The optimal tree
is shown. The percentage of replicate trees in which the associated taxa clustered together in the bootstrap test (500 replicates) are
shown next to the branches (Felsenstein 1985). The tree is drawn to scale, with branch lengths (next to the branches) in the same units
as those of the evolutionary distances used to infer the phylogenetic tree. The evolutionary distances were computed using the Maximum
Composite Likelihood method (Tamura et al. 2004) and are in the units of the number of base substitutions per site. This analysis involved
28 nucleotide sequences. Codon positions included were 1st+2nd+3rd+Noncoding. All positions containing gaps and missing data were
eliminated (complete deletion option). There was a total of 545 positions in the nal dataset. Evolutionary analyses were conducted in
MEGA X (Kumar et al. 2018).
Fig. 80. Male Macrocneme aurifera, Port of Spain, Upper Lady Chancellor Road, by day, 28.i.1979; 38 mm.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
44 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 81. Male Macrocneme lades, Curepe, MVL, 1.x.1979; 32 mm.
Fig. 82. Female Macrocneme lades (assumed), Parrylands Oileld, MVL, eupatorium owers, 16.x.1980; 33 mm.
Fig. 83. Male Macrocneme lades (assumed), Penal, at light, 13.xii.2014, K. Sookdeo; ©, with permission.
Iridescence is usually bronze or sometimes green, but
seldom blue. There is a large range in reduction of wing
iridescence, with transverse median fascia sometimes
completely absent.’ This brown phenotype had been named
M. aurata Walker, but Dietz (1994) concluded that this
is a synonym of M. lades, although he did use the name
M. aurata for material he labelled in British collections.
Although Dietz (1994) was not explicit, our treatment is
based on all Trinidad material of M. lades being of this
brown phenotype, with the dorsal and lateral abdomen a
distinctive uniform green-bronze. This assumption should
be tested based on dissections and DNA barcodes from
additional material.
One Trinidad male was sequenced (MJWC-358) and is
45
Fig. 84. Mating Macrocneme lades (assumed), female above,
Blanchisseuse, 20.xi.2021, G. White; ©, with permission.
included in the same BIN as Trinidad specimens of M. thyra
(BOLD:AAA1397) but in a separate cluster within the BIN
(Fig. 79. This subcluster includes material from Argentina,
Brazil (Sao Paulo and Maranhão), Peru, Venezuela and
French Guiana, i.e. most of South America.
Identication. See under Macrocneme above.
Biology in Trinidad. Adults are attracted to owers by
day and to light by night. Mating has been observed by
day (Fig. 84).
Status in Trinidad. An occasional species in forested and
suburban habitats.
Macrocneme eacus (Stoll) (see Poliopastea plumbea)
Macrocneme plumbea Hampson (see Poliopastea plumbea)
Macrocneme spinivalva Fleming (see Macrocneme aurifera)
Macrocneme thyra Möschler, 1883
Figs. 78, 79, 85–87, Appendix Figs. 11, 32.
OD: Möschler 1883: Macrocneme thyra, TL Suriname
Draudt 1915: Macrocneme thyra intacta, TL Trinidad
[synonym]
TT: Macrocneme thyra Möschler: Kaye (1901), Zerny
(1912), Blest (1964), Dietz (1994), Cerda (2008),
Cock (2017)
Macrocneme thyra Möschler subsp. 1: Hampson
(1898)
Macrocneme guyanensis Dognin: Hampson (1914)
[misidentication]
Macrocneme thyra intacta Draudt: Draudt (1915–
1917), Beebe and Kenedy (1957) [synonym]
Historical notes. Hampson (1898) treated M. thyra as
having subspecies: subsp. 1 was noted to have the forewing
with the blue-green at base entire, and very little white on
inner area of fore wing below or on base of hind wing, and
was based on a male in NHMUK from Trinidad collected by
[H.] Caracciolo, and another from Colombia. Kaye (1901)
referred to Hampson (1898) and mentioned ‘specimens’ (in
error for one male) in NHMUK collected by Caracciolo.
There is only one specimen of Macrocneme collected by
Caracciolo in NHMUK, and it is a male M. thyra. Draudt
(1915–1917) introduced the name intacta as a form of M.
thyra, based on Hampson’s (1898) M. thyra subsp. 1, and
hence, Cariacciolo’s specimen from Trinidad in NHMUK
is the type of this subspecies name.
Kaye and Lamont (1927) repeated the information in
Kaye (1901), added a record from Guaico (18.iv.1915,
N. Lamont) and noted that there are specimens in Kaye’s
collection. The Guaico specimen is in NMS and appears
to be a male M. thyra. The Kaye material may be the two
males in NHMUK mentioned in the last paragraph, or the
six males and six females in MGCL from his collection.
Fleming (1957) recognized one male from Tabaquite
in NHMUK as M. thyra thyra, and 137 males and seven
females from Simla as M. thyra intacta, although he is
clear that he could see no dierence in the male genitalia
between the two subspecies. Fleming (1957) referred to
an additional six male and three females in NHMUK from
Port of Spain, Guaico, Ariapite Valley, and St. Ann’s (see
Appendix listing). Dietz (1994) made M. thyra intacta
a synonym of M. thyra, noting that it was within the
range of variation of this species and the male genitalia
are essentially identical. He listed material from Guaico;
Ariapite Valley; Simla; Upper Arima Valley; Carenage;
Heights of Aripo; Guanapo Road; Hololo Mountain Road;
Maraval; Mt Tucuche; Port of Spain; St Ann’s; St Ann’s
Valley; St Augustine, and Tobago. MJWC’s material was
identied from Dietz (1994).
Hampson (1914) recorded M. guyanensis Dognin from
Trinidad, listing two males in NHMUK collected by [W.J.]
Kaye. These two males were identied by Dietz as M.
thyra, although M. guyanensis itself was made a synonym
of M. thyridia (Dietz 1994).
Taxonomic issues. Six DNA barcodes from Trinidad
and identied as M. thyra are part of BOLD:AAA1397, a
wide-ranging BIN. The BIN has several clusters within it
(see M. lades above and Fig. 79). We consider the large
cluster within BOLD:AAA1397 to be M. thyra; in addition
to the six Trinidad sequences, it includes material mostly
identied as M. thyra from Costa Rica (15), Colombia (1),
French Guiana (1), Peru (1), and Brazil, Pará (1).
Identication. See under Macrocneme above. Dietz
(1994) wrote ‘The colour of the wing iridescence is usually
consistent within a population, but may vary between
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
46 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 85. Male Macrocneme thyra; top, Cumaca Road, 4.6 miles, MVL, 18.vii.1981, 37 mm; middle, Lalaja, on eupatorium owers,
28.ix.2019 (J. Morrall) [DNA MJWC-350], 37 mm; bottom, as middle [DNA MJWC-353], 38 mm.
47
Fig. 86. Female Macrocneme thyra; top, Lalaja, on eupatorium owers, 28.ix.2019 (J. Morrall) [DNA MJWC-349], 37 mm; middle, as
top [DNA MJWC-351], 37 mm; bottom, as top [DNA MJWC-352], 37 mm.
populations from golden-green, to green, to blue-green,
to deep blue. Sometimes, within a single population,
combinations of colours occur, as in three specimens with
similar data from Simla, Arima Valley, Trinidad. In one both
wings are green, in a second they are blue, and in the third
the forewing is green and the hindwing blue. Most examples
of thyra have a patch of metallic scales in the discal area
of the hindwings, but in specimens from the Guianas and
eastern Venezuela this iridescence is absent, or occasionally
present only as a few scattered scales. The dorsum [of the
abdomen] can be either iridescent green or have the metallic
scales restricted to three longitudinal striae. There are two
sublateral lines extending the length of the abdomen which
are broader than the thin mid-dorsal line that may obsolesce
beyond the middle. In the females the abdominal iridescence
is often duller and darker than in males, making the striae
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
48 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 87. Female Macrocneme thyra (assumed), Arima Valley, Asa
Wright Nature Centre, at light, 6.iii.2007, S. Daniel (iNaturalist
observation 69962122); ©, with permission.
Fig. 88. Male Macrocneme thyridia, Curepe, MVL, 2.xi.1979; 33 mm.
appear faint or absent. These striae are particularly notable
in the Trinidad populations (=intacta) and in individuals
from the Guianas and Venezuela. Where thyra occurs
sympatrically with lades, the two species share similar
patterns in variation. Both are browner in ground color
in the Orinoco and Guiana drainages than in other parts of
their range. In the Guianas and eastern Venezuela, where
thyra is heavily white on the underside, lades has the white
on the venter attenuating caudally.’
Fig. 85 shows three males from Trinidad (conrmed by
genitalia or DNA barcode) and Fig. 86 shows three females
(conrmed by DNA barcode). The sequenced specimens
all fall within the cluster of BOLD:AAA1397 referred to
under ‘Taxonomic issues’ above. It is clear that the metallic
colouring can be blue or green, and the extent and degree of
interruption on both wings is variable. However, although
Dietz wrote ‘Where thyra occurs sympatrically with lades,
the two species share similar patterns in variation’ we have
separated M. thyra and M. lades on habitus, as described
under the heading Macrocneme above, and supported by
limited male dissections. This treatment certainly merits
further investigation based on genitalia and DNA barcodes,
and voucher specimens should be kept for all observations.
Biology in Trinidad. This species ies both by day and
by night (Beebe and Kenedy 1957, author’s observations).
By night, males are readily attracted to light, particularly
in the early evening before 22.00 h, but females are more
frequently seen by day than by night (Beebe and Kenedy
1957, author’s observations).
Status in Trinidad. A common and widespread species.
Macrocneme thyridia Hampson, 1898
Figs. 78, 88–89, Appendix Fig. 12.
OD: Hampson 1898: Macrocneme thyridia, TL Suriname
[♀ NHMUK]
TT: Macrocneme thyridia Hampson: Dietz (1994)
Historical notes. This species was rst recorded from
Trinidad when Dietz (1994) listed material from Ariapite
Valley [NHMUK]; Fondes Amandes [NHMUK]; Port
of Spain, Emperor Valley [OUMNH]; St Ann’s Valley
[NHMUK, USNM]; Trinidad (Kaye) [NHMUK]. MJWC
did not locate this material in NHMUK, and although he
did locate the OUMNH specimen, Dietz had not labelled
it. Earlier authors would have seen some of this material
which would have been lumped with M. thyra or another of
the species treated above. MJWC’s material was identied
from Dietz (1994).
Taxonomic issues. According to Dietz (1994), this species
may be easily confused with M. lades and M. thyra. They
occur sympatrically and are similarly variable in colour and
pattern of the wing iridescence. Usually the forewing in
M. thyridia has a concentration of green scales (sometimes
blue) at the base of the wing accompanied by a similar
concentration on the inner margin. The only dependable
method to diagnose M. thyridia is to examine the genitalia.
More material and DNA barcodes from Trinidad are needed
49
Fig. 89. Female Macrocneme thyridia (assumed), Arima Valley, Simla, MVL, 28.ix.1981; 37 mm.
to better understand this species, and whether there are
useful diagnostic features.
Identication. See under Macrocneme above.
Biology in Trinidad. It is anticipated that this species ies
by day and night, like other members of the genus.
Status in Trinidad. An uncommon species, with most
records from the the north-west of the island.
Macrocneme vittata (Walker) (see Poliopastea vittata)
Mesothen aurantegula Jones (see Loxophlebia diaphana)
Metaloba nona Druce (see Calonotos aterrima tripunctata
and C. helymus craneae)
Mydropastea chrysonota Hampson (see Phoenicoprocta
vacillans♀)
Myrmecopsis Newman, 1850
Type species: Myrmecopsis eumenides Newman, 1850
(TL Brazil, Amazon, Ega) by monotypy. Myrmecopsis
eumenides is a junior subjective synonym of Pseudosphex
polistes Hübner, 1818 (Kirby 1892, Watson et al. 1980).
Cerda (2008) treats M. eumenides from French Guiana and
illustrates the male genitalia.
Myrmecopsis kenedyae (Fleming, 1957)
Figs. 90–93. For gures of the details of body and male
genitalia, see Cock and Laguerre (2022).
OD: Fleming 1957: Pseudosphex kenedyae Fleming, TL
Trinidad.
TT: Pseudosphex kenedyae Fleming: Fleming (1957),
Beebe and Kenedy (1957)
Myrmecopsis kenedyae (Fleming): Cock and Laguerre
(2022).
Fig. 90. Dorsal view of male Euchromiina that mimic Agelaia spp. wasps (Polybiinae); left, Myrmecopsis kenedyae; centre, Pleurosoma
trinitatis; right, Sphecosoma aurantiipes.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
50 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 91. Male Myrmecopsis kenedyae, Arima Blanchisseuse Road, milestone 9.75, Textel Road, eupatorium owers, 11.x.1979; 25 mm.
Fig. 93. Myrmecopsis kenedyae, Lalaja Ridge, to Heliotropium,
6.v.1995, M.J.W. Cock.
Historical notes. Fleming (1957) described this species
from Trinidad, and the holotype can be seen at AMNH
(2022). Identied by comparison with the two paratypes
(♂ Trinidad) in NHMUK.
Taxonomic issues. No public sequences in BOLD.
Cock and Laguerre (2022) transferred this species from
Pseudosphex (Ctenuchina) to Myrmecopsis.
Identication. This is one of three yellow-brown and
black mimics of Agelaia polybiine wasps in Trinidad, the
other two being Pleurosoma trinitatis and Sphecosoma
aurantiipes (Fig. 90). Myrmecopsis kenedyae is the only
one of the three with the end of the forewing cell and cells
distal to this with a strong dusky tint (Figs. 91–92). Sexes
almost identical.
Biology in Trinidad. The type series of 15 males and
one female was collected at heliotrope at Simla, mainly in
the dry season: January (4), February (6), April (3), June
(1), and December (2), and an image of the holotype is
Fig. 92. Female Myrmecopsis kenedyae, Lalaja Ridge, to Heliotropium, 6.v.1995; 25 mm.
51
American species. Hampson (1898) treated N. acroxantha
as a synonym of N. chalciope, apparently overlooking the
dierence in antennae colour, but Zerny (1931a) and more
recently Cerda (2008) treated both as valid. Kaye and
Lamont (1927) and Fleming (1957) followed Hampson
(1898) regarding this synonymy.
Cerda (2008) was unable to distinguish the three
species based on the male genitalia. Public sequences
in BOLD are predominantly from Costa Rica and cluster
in two BINs. BOLD:AAA1414 has yellow antennae
and includes a specimen from Jamaica, and so should
be representative of N. chalciope. BOLD:ABY8418 has
brown antennae, yellow distally and includes a specimen
from French Guiana with black antennae, yellow distally,
suggesting this BIN could be treated as N. acroxantha,
leaving the status of N. xanthocera unresolved, but
probably a synonym of N. chalciope, given that they
both have yellow antennae. We therefore follow Cerda
(2008) and treat the species in Trinidad as N. acroxantha.
However, ML notes two DNA barcode species in French
Guiana, 1.9% apart, so the situation can be expected to
change again.
Identication. This is a large species with transparent
wings with back margins. There is a distinctive black bar
running from the costa across the end of the cell to the
tornus. The sexes are similar.
Biology in Trinidad. MJWC’s only specimen was
attracted to heliotrope.
Status in Trinidad. A rare species in Trinidad, with
two records from the Northern Range. There is a further
specimen in UWIZM, but details are not to hand.
ORCYNIA WALKER 1854
Type species: Euchromia calcarata Walker, 1854, TL
Brazil, Santarem.
Fig. 94. Male Nyridela acroxantha, Morne Bleu, Textel Installation, to Heliotropium, 9.x.1980; 42 mm.
available online (AMNH 2022). The individuals attracted
to heliotrope are almost entirely male, ying from 0600h to
1815h (Beebe and Kenedy 1957). MJWC has also captured
one male at eupatorium owers. This distasteful moth is
a Müllerian mimic of the stinging Polybiinae social wasp
‘Stelopolybia pallipes var. anceps (Saussure)’ according to
Beebe and Kenedy (1957), who detailed morphological and
behavioural similarities. Angelaia pallipes (Olivier) and A.
multipicta (Haliday) (= anceps Saussure) are two dierent
wasp species, but probably they were referring to the latter.
Status in Trinidad. A fairly common and widespread
species in forested areas, but normally only seen when
attracted to heliotrope.
NYRIDELA LUCAS 1857
Type species Isanthrene chalciope Hübner, 1831, TL Cuba.
Nyridela acroxantha (Perty, 1833)
Fig. 94.
OD: Perty 1833: Glaucopis acroxantha, TL Tropical Brazil.
TT: Nyridela chalciope (Hübner): Kaye and Lamont
(1927), Fleming (1957) [misidentication]
Historical notes. Kaye and Lamont (1927) recorded a
specimen as N. chalciope from St. Ann’s Valley, which
MJWC examined in MGCL. Fleming (1957) had no
additional records. Identied by comparison with the
NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. Nyridela acroxantha (Perty, 1833)
was described from tropical Brazil, N. chalciope (Hübner,
[1831]) from Cuba, and N. xanthocera (Walker, 1856)
from Brazil. Nyridela acroxantha is described as having
black antennae, although Hampson (1898) described
them as yellow distally, while the other two have yellow
antennae. Druce (1881–1890) pointed out that the type in
OUMNH has no locality data, and treats it as the Central
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
52 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 95. Male Orcynia calcarata, Parrylands Oileld, at light, ii.1980 (J.O. Boos); 55 mm.
Orcynia calcarata (Walker, 1854)
Figs. 95–97.
OD: Walker 1854: Euchromia calcarata, TL Brazil,
Santarem.
Historical notes. A new record for Trinidad. Identied
by comparison with the type (NHMUK, Brazil, Santarem)
and NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. Sequences from French Guiana and
Peru form BOLD:AAU7938.
Identication. No sexual dimorphism. This large species
Fig. 96. Female Orcynia calcarata, Parrylands Oileld, 13.ix.1980; 54 mm.
Fig. 97. Orcynia calcarata, South Oropouche, Mon Desir,
28.vii.2021, T.P. Maharaj (iNaturalist observation 88958328); ©,
under CC-BY-NC.
appears to be a wasp mimic, like no other Trinidad species,
with uniformly brown wings and large yellow spots on the
body.
Biology in Trinidad. Julius Boos gave MJWC two
males that he caught at lights in Parrylands, and Tarran
Maharaj photographed an active individual by day, noting
the resemblance to a Jack Spaniard wasp (Polistes spp.,
Vespidae) (Fig. 97).
Status in Trinidad. A rare species in Trinidad, with three
records from Parrylands Oileld, and one from South
Oropouche.
PHEIA WALKER 1854
Type species: Glaucopis albisigna Walker, 1854, TL
Honduras.
Pheia beebei Fleming (see Xanthyda beebei)
Pheia toulgoeti Cerda, 2008
Fig. 98.
OD: Cerda 2008: Pheia toulgoeti, TL French Guiana.
Historical notes. A new record for Trinidad. MJWC
initially identied this species as P. albisigna (Walker, 1854)
by comparison with the type (Honduras) and NHMUK
series. However, although P. toulgoeti is very similar, it
has the ventral abdominal segment 1 black with a white
border, whereas in P. albisigna this area is pure white (Cerda
53
2008). On this basis, all Trinidad material is P. toulgoeti.
Taxonomic issues. A sequence from French Guiana in
BOLD indicates this species should be BIN ACN8935.
Identication. This species has transparent wings with
broad black forewing margins and bar at the end of the
cell. The conspicuous red spot at the base of the dorsal
forewing, the white rectangle on the posterior margin of
the thorax and the wasp-like constriction of the abdomen
at segments 2–4, accentuated by a white ventro-lateral spot,
will facilitate recognition of this species.
Biology in Trinidad. All four Trinidad specimens were
attracted to light.
Status in Trinidad. A rare species with records from
forested areas in the north (Cumaca Road) and south
(Parrylands Oileld).
Pheia utica (Druce, 1889)
Figs. 99–100.
OD: Druce 1889: Dycladia utica, TL Guerro, Mexico.
Pheia utica (Druce): Cock (2017)
Historical notes. There are two Tobago specimens from
W.J. Kaye’s collection in MGCL, but Kaye and Lamont
(1927) did not record this species from Trinidad. Cock
(2017) recorded this species from Tobago. There are still
no Trinidad records. Identied by comparison with the type
(NHMUK, ♂ Mexico) and NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. Cerda (2008) treated this species as
occurring south to the Amazon. His gure of the female
has orange colouring, where MJWC’s Tobago specimen
(Fig. 100) has red colouring. In both sexes the subdorsal
metallic blue markings are paler / more developed in
the Tobago examples. There is only one available DNA
barcode sequence identied as P. utica, MILA 2078 from
Brazil, Maranhão, BIN BOLD:ACV3367, so DNA barcodes
cannot be used to address this yet. The closest species
is P. daphaena Hampson (TL Dominica, St. Lucia), from
Martinique (3.8% dierent), BOLD:ACV3242.
Identication. Of the Trinidad fauna, this species comes
closest to Loxophlebia bisigna, but diers from that species
in that the bar at the end of the forewing cell is wider,
there are obvious red basal markings on the dorsal forewing,
the paired white subdorsal marks are restricted to the rst
abdominal segment, and there is a row of subdorsal metallic
blue spots in line with these.
Biology in Trinidad. MJWC’s only specimen was taken
at mercury vapour light.
Status in Trinidad. None of the Tobago specimens are
clearly associated with forest, suggesting this species may
be associated with suburban or disturbed areas
PHOENICOPROCTA DRUCE, 1898
Type species Phoenicoprocta metachrysea Druce, 1898,
TL French Guiana, by monotypy. Dyar (1915) made
Fig. 98. Male Pheia toulgoeti, Parrylands Oileld, MVL, 25.vii.1981; 33 mm.
Fig. 99. Male Pheia utica, Tobago, 16.viii.1924 (C.L. Withycombe)
[NHMUK]; ©, The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London,
made available under Creative Commons License 4.0 https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
54 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
P. metachrysea a synonym of P. vacillans, based on ‘a
remarkably variable series bred from larvae by Mr. H.W.B.
Moore in British Guiana’. Unfortunately, no details of
the life history were recorded. This genus has also been
referred to as Phoenicoprocta Hampson, 1898 but Druce
used Hampson’s name prematurely, and so has precedence
(Watson et al. 1980).
Phoenicoprocta vacillans (Walker, 1856)
Figs. 101–103.
OD: Walker 1856: Eunonia vacillans, TL Valley of the
Amazon.
Rothschild 1912: Antichloris trinitatis, TL Trinidad
[synonym]
Strand 1915: Phoenicoprocta trinitatis, TL Trinidad
[synonym]
Strand 1915: Phoenicoprocta vacillans ab.
nigropeltata, TL Trinidad [synonym]
Kaye 1920: Mydropastea disparata, TL Trinidad
[synonym]
TT: Antichloris trinitatis Rothschild: Rothschild (1912) TL,
Draudt (1915–1917 pp. 136, 197), Kaye and Lamont
(1927) [synonym]
Autochloris trinitatis (Rothschild): Hampson (1914)
[synonym]
Phoenicoprocta trinitatis Strand: Strand (1915) TL,
Draudt (1915–1917), Strand (1927), Kaye and Lamont
(1927) [homonym and synonym]
Phoenicoprocta vacillans ab. nigropeltata Strand:
Strand (1915) TL, Strand (1927) [synonym]
Phoenicoprocta vacillans nigropeltata Strand: Draudt
(1915–1917) [synonym]
Mydropastea disparata Kaye: Kaye (1920), Bland
(2010) [synonym]
Mydropastea chrysonota Hampson: Kaye and Lamont
(1927) [synonym]
Phoenicoprocta rubiventer Hampson: Kaye and
Lamont (1927) [misidentication / possible synonym]
Calonotos helymus (Cramer): Kaye and Lamont
(1927), Laurence (2000) [misidentication]
Phoenicoprocta vacillans (Walker): Kaye and Lamont
(1927), Fleming (1957), Blest (1964), Bland (2010)
Historical notes. This is a sexually dimorphic and variable
species (Figs. 101–102), which has caused considerable
confusion in the literature, until Fleming (1957) recognized
the problems and created several synonyms, some of which
are used here to refer to sex-specic forms. Males (Figs.
101) have hyaline wings with a black border and black
bar at the end of the cell; the patagia are usually orange or
orange and red, but sometimes black; the dorsal abdomen
has metallic blue spots on the dorsum, while the remainder
varies from all red to all black with just the anal tuft red; the
ventral valve is usually a shade of red, but can be black, and
always has a pale margin. Females (Figs. 102) are black
with dorsal and lateral metallic green stripes on the abdomen
reminiscent of Calonotos helymus and C. aterrima; the
thorax is normally black, but can be extensively red; the
wings are black or variably endowed with transparent areas.
Rothschild (1912) described Antichloris trinitatis
Rothschild from a female collected at Caparo in January
1906 by S.M. Klages. The type is now in NHMUK. Kaye
and Lamont (1927) repeated this information. Fleming
(1957) recognized this species as a female form of P.
vacillans (his form 1).
Strand (1915) described P. trinitatis Strand from a
Caparo male and P. vacillans ab. nigropeltata Strand
from two Caparo males. Kaye and Lamont (1927) repeated
this information. Once it became clear that Rothschild’s
trinitatis was a Phoenicoprocta, Strand’s trinitatis became
an unavailable homonym, and in any case, the two are both
synonyms of P. vacillans (Fleming 1957). The original
description of nigropeltata was as an aberration, so it was
not an available name until Draudt (1915–1917) used it as a
form (equivalent to subspecies in that work) that it became an
available name. Nevertheless, it too is synonymous with P.
vacillans (Fleming 1957). Fleming (1957) treated Trinidad
Fig. 100. Female Pheia utica, Tobago, Scarborough, Marden House, MVL, 9.i.1982; 25 mm.
55
males with extensive red on the abdomen as form trinitatis
Strand, and those without as form nigropeltata Strand.
Kaye (1920) described Mydropastea disparata Kaye
based on a male and two females from Trinidad: Rock
1.i.1918 and Palmiste 9.ix.1917. The specimen from Rock
is labelled type in NMS and treated as the holotype by Bland
(2010). It is a female P. vacillans form chrysonota (Fig.
102 B–D). A further female P. vacillans form chrysonota in
NMS is labelled as co-type. A male with no data label from
the Lamont collection labelled as cotype in NMS is a male
Autochloris almon (see above). Based on the information in
Kaye and Lamont (1927), specimens of Lamont’s material
collected before 1915 were all collected at Palmiste but
incorporated into his collection with no data labels. Bland
(2010) stated that Kaye and Lamont (1927) synonymized
M. disparata with M. chrysonota, but this was not done
explicitly, although that was presumably their intention as
the data of the type series of M. disparata was included
under M. chrysonota. In any case, Bland (2010) listed M.
disparata as a junior subjective synonym of P. vacillans
form chrysonota based on MJWC’s identication. Hampson
(1898) described and illustrated Paramya chrysonota from
the Amazon (Itaituba); he referred to the type in NHMUK
as a male, but it is a female. Fleming (1957) recognized
chrysonota as a female form of P. vacillans and made it a
junior synonym.
In all, Kaye and Lamont (1927) recorded this species
from Trinidad under no less than six dierent names. Their
inclusion of P. vacillans itself was based on specimens
from Palmiste (7.x.1918, 12.ii.1921, N. Lamont) and San
Fernando (i.1922, N. Lamont). The rst of these is a male
in NMS, the second has not been located and the third is
a male in UWIZM. There are ve males in coll. Lamont
(UWIZM) as P. vacillans; all have a blue dorsal stripe on
the abdomen and the red reduced to the caudal tuft, and
represent form nigropeltata.
Kaye and Lamont (1927) also listed P. rubiventer
Hampson, referring to a specimen from Palmiste (1913,
N. Lamont). We have not located a specimen likely to
represent this record. However, there are four males of
form trinitatis Strand in Lamont’s collection (UWIZM)
labelled as P. rubiventer, which suggests this is how Kaye
and Lamont (1927) applied the name. Druce (1881-1900)
misidentied P. sanguinea (Walker, 1854) and the species
he treated under this name was renamed P. rubiventer
Hampson, 1898 (♂ type NHMUK, Panama). Butler (1877)
illustrated Druce’s species; it resembles form trinitatis
Strand. Fleming (1957) suggested P. rubiventer was likely
to be a synonym of P. vacillans, but took no taxonomic
action on this. LepIndex (Beccaloni et al. 2018) treats P.
sanguinea Druce (nec Walker) as a synonym of P. insperata
(Walker, 1856) (♀ type, OUMNH, Brazil, Para), but this
seems to be an unpublished synonymy. Further, Cerda
(2008) made P. insperata, but not P. sanguinea, a synonym
of P. vacillans. For the purposes of treating the Trinidad
fauna, we consider the use of the name P. rubiventer by
Kaye and Lamont (1927) to be a misidentication for
P. vacillans form trinitatis Strand, and do not attempt to
resolve its taxonomic status.
One further name listed by Kaye and Lamont (1927)
is considered to refer to P. vacillans, i.e. their record of
Calonotos helymus which they report without data from
Palmiste (N. Lamont). As discussed under C. helymus
craneae above, C. helymus only occurs in Trinidad as
ssp. craneae with white spots on the wings (Figs. 10–13).
There is a female P. vacillans form trinitatis Rothschild
with an identication label as C. helymus from Lamont’s
collection in NMS, and we accept this as the basis for Kaye
and Lamont’s (1927) record of C. helymus from Trinidad.
Kaye and Lamont (1927) included Hampson’s (1898) brief
description of the larva of C. helymus which feeds on coee,
but this refers to C. aterrima, which Hampson treated as a
synonym. Laurence’s (2000) record of C. helymus as an
occasional pest of coee in Trinidad is likely to be based
on this as we have seen no voucher material for this record.
There is a male of P. vacillans form trinitatis Strand from
W.J. Kaye’s collection in MGCL, which Kaye had labelled
as P. sanguinea, although this name was not used in Kaye
and Lamont (1927). We believe this was based on Druce’s
misinterpretation of P. sanguinea which was subsequently
named P. rubiventer (see above). Phoenicoprocta sanguinea
is not considered to be a Trinidad species as discussed under
taxonomic issues below.
In Lamont’s collection in UWIZM, there are 5♂ with
predominantly red UPS abdomen as Phoenicoprocta
rubiventer; 5♂ with blue dorsal stripe on abdomen and
red caudal tuft as Phoenicoprocta vacillans; and 3♀ with
varying development of hyaline markings as Mydropastea
chrysonota. Fleming (1957) recognized three male forms
and four females in Trinidad, and recorded his captures at
Simla as: 19♂ form nigropeltata Strand; 10♂ form trinitatis
Strand; 1♂ un-named form darker than form trinitatis; 2♀
form I (trinitatis Rothschild), 3♀ form II (chrysonota), one
with crimson patagia; an unspecied number of ♀ form III
with more extensive hyaline areas; and 3♀ form IV with
the most extensive hyaline areas.
Taxonomic issues. Walker (1856) described Eunonia
vacillans from the ‘Valley of the Amazon’ and the male
holotype is in NHMUK. Hampson (1898) referred to
the type locality as São Paulo (presumably São Paulo de
Olivencia as Walker referred to the valley of the Amazon),
and transferred the species to Phoenicoprocta. Fleming
(1957) recognized that although P. vacillans is a sexually
dimorphic variable species, it is also part of a complex which
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
56 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 101. Male Phoenicoprocta vacillans. A, Curepe, MVL, 13.xi.1978; 30 mm. B, Curepe, MVL, 13.ix.1979; 30 mm. C, f. trinitatis Strand,
Curepe, at light, 8.ix.1978; 32 mm. D, Valencia Forest, MVL, 5.viii.1981; 30 mm. E, Caura Valley, Nr. Caura, MVL, 24.ix.1978; 33 mm.
57
Fig. 102. Female Phoenicoprocta vacillans.. A, f. trinitatis Rothschild, Curepe, MVL, 13–20.ix.1981; 35 mm. B, f. chrysonota, Curepe,
MVL, 1–10.ii.1982; 35 mm. C, f. chrysonota, Curepe, ix.1979; 33 mm. D, f. chrysonota, Curepe, MVL, 24.x.1978; 31 mm. E, un-named
form, Curepe, MVL, 27.viii.1978; 33 mm.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
58 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 103. Male Phoenicoprocta vacillans, Penal, at light, 18.iv.2014 (left) and 25.i.2014 (right), K. Sookdeo; ©, with permission.
he could only separate based on male genitalia. Thus, all
material from Trinidad, Venezuela (Carapito) and Guyana
had similar genitalia, but dierred from specimens from
Peru (Candelopa) and Bolivia (Pitaguaya), which ‘have a
distinctlydierentpairofprotuberancesoneithersideof
the base of the uncus. They are rounded and bulbous in the
latter specimens and pointed in our vacillans’.
In BOLD, P. vacillans appears as one BIN,
BOLD:AAG9068 from Peru (17), Brazil (7), French Guiana
(4), Argentina (1), Venezuela (3), Ecuador (1), Guyana
(1), Suriname (3), and Colombia (1). It is 3.21 p-distance
from its nearest neighbour, BOLD:ACE8772, which is
restricted to Argentina, based on BOLD sequences. The
Brazilian specimens of BOLD:AAG9068 are from Pará
and Maranhão, but given that the range of this BIN extends
to Argentina, it seems safe to say that it includes the type
locality ‘Valley of the Amazon’ and until the complex is
better understood, P. vacillans (including Trinidad material)
may be interpreted as this BIN.
Phoenicoprocta sanguinea (Walker, 1854) (BOLD:
AAA1390) is a separate BIN in BOLD, with sequences
from Costa Rica (37), Guatemala (1) and a genetically rather
distant member from Sucre, Venezuela (1). If this species
occurs in Sucre, it could well also occur in Trinidad. Males
resemble the reddest forms of Trinidad males (e.g. Fig. 101
A), but females have the wings always extensively hyaline,
and have red and blue body markings. This female form
has not been seen from Trinidad, so for now, it is assumed
that this is not a Trinidad species. Walker (1854) described
P. sanguinea with unknown origin, but Hampson (1898)
referred to the holotype as from Honduras. Fleming (1957)
pointed out that the handprinted label on the holotype stating
Honduras is not in Walker’s nor Hampson’s writing.
Fleming (1957) questioned whether P. capistrata
(Fabricius, 1775) (TL ‘America’) may be a female form of
P. vacillans, in which case it would have priority. The focus
of his concern is that P. capistrata as currently treated is a
species restricted to the Greater Antilles, whereas Fabricius
(1775) gave the type locality as ‘America’, implying the
mainland. Fabricius’ (1775) description of P. capistrata
was based on one or more specimens in ‘Mus. Tottianum’.
Otto Thott was a Count in the Danish Government, and
Fabricius used his entomological collection to describe
several dozen new species indicated by “Mus. Tottianum”
(Zimzen 1964). After Thott’s death in 1785 his collection
was sold by auction, and parts ended up in at least three
museums, but no types of capistrata have been located in
any of these, and the type material of this species is now
assumed to be lost (Zimzen 1964). Pinheiro and Duarte
(2010) treated this species as illustrated by Draudt (1915–
1917), and commented ‘neither in this nor any other work
… or collection consulted did we nd a similar species
thatcouldput its identication indoubt.ThefactthatP.
capistratahasatleastthreefemalephenotypesdiering
frommalesdoesnotcastdoubtontheidenticationofthe
species, since laboratory rearings have shown that they
are indeed the same species (Rodríguez-Loeches and Barro
2009). This is why we decided not to designate a neotype for
this species as well.’ Given Fleming’s concerns, perhaps it
would have been better if they had designated a neotype to
match current use. Nevertheless, we follow this currently
accepted treatment here.
Identication. As will be clear from the discussion in the
preceding sections, this is a complex species. Males have
transparent wings with a black border and bar across the
end of the forewing cell; they may or may not have red
streaks at the base of the dorsal forewing. The dorsal surface
of the head, always has a metallic blue spot, as does the
dorsal posterior margin of the thorax and at least the rst
ve abdominal segments; the tegulae are usually brown
59
or orange, but may be black; the dorso-lateral area of the
abdomen varies from black to completely red; and the distal
end of the abdomen has red hair tufts giving it a truncate
appearance (Figs. 101). Several dierent names have been
applied to this continuous variation in the male.
The female occurs in (at least) three morphs, but all have
black wings with or without transparent areas, the dorsal
head metallic blue-green and the abdomen with dorsal and
lateral metallic green stripes reminiscent of Calonotos spp.,
the dorsal stripe extending onto the posterior margin of
the thorax, with the section on abdominal segment 1 being
narrower than the others. Female form trinitatis Rothschild
has the wings and thorax black (Fig. 102 A), resembling
C. helymus helymus which is not known from Trinidad.
Form chrysonota resembles form trinitatis except there are
transparent windows of variable extent on both wings (Figs.
102 B–D), resembling Autochloris almon (Figs. 3-4). There
is an unnamed form which is also similar to form trinitatis,
but the dorsal thorax is mostly red, extending to subdorsal
patches on abdominal segment 1 (Fig. 102E).
Biology in Trinidad. There are no observations at
heliotrope or owers, and almost all captures have been at
light by night, suggesting a nocturnal species.
Status in Trinidad. A common and widespread species,
particularly in disturbed habitats.
PLEUROSOMA ORFILA 1935
Type species Sphecosoma angustatum Möschler, 1878, TL
Suriname.
Pleurosoma trinitatis (Rothschild, 1911)
Figs. 90, 104–105, Appendix Figs. 13, 33.
OD: Rothschild 1911: Sphecosoma trinitatis, TL Trinidad,
Caparo, 4♂.
TT: Sphecosoma trinitatis Rothschild: Rothschild (1911),
Zerny (1912), Hampson (1914), Draudt (1915–1917),
Kaye and Lamont (1927)
Pleurosoma trinitatis (Rothschild): Orla (1935),
Fleming (1957)
Historical notes. Rothschild (1911) described Sphecosoma
trinitatis from Trinidad, based on four males collected at
Caparo, December 1905 by S.M. Klages. When MJWC
examined the type series in NHMUK, he found a male
curated as the holotype and three females. Kaye and
Lamont (1927) included this species based on the type
locality. Orla (1935) created the new genus Pleurosoma
to include P. trinitatis. Fleming (1957) recorded 15 males
and eight females from Simla. Identied by comparison
with the type (NHMUK, ♂ Trinidad) and NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. No public sequences in BOLD. A
dissection of the male genitalia (Appendix Fig. 33)
resembles that shown by Cerda (2008) for the similar
species, P. angustatum (Möschler, 1878). Clearly the two
are congeneric, but dierent species.
Identication. This is one of the three Euchromiina that
closely mimic the two Agelaia sp. wasps known from Trinidad
(Vespidae, Polybiinae) (C.K. Starr, pers. comm.). It lacks
the sullied brown area on the outer half of the costal area
which distinguishes Myrmecopsis kenedyae (Fig. 91–92).
Pleurosoma trinitatis and Sphecosoma aurantiipes are
very similar and perhaps most easily distinguished by the
markings of the dorsal thorax. In P. trinitatis the patagia
are yellow-brown with a diuse transverse bar, whereas in
S. aurantiipes the posterior third is black; the tegulae of P.
trinitatis are yellow-brown with a central, dark, longitudinal
stripe, whereas in S. aurantiipes they are yellow-brown with
the margins narrowly black; and there is a black dorsal line
in P. trinitatis, but a pair of subdorsal lines in S. aurantiipes
(Fig. 78).
Biology in Trinidad. Rothschild (1931) suggested ‘a
species of Polybia near P. fasciata Saussure’ is the wasp
model for this species, and the two were collected together
in Trinidad by S.M. Klages. We cannot trace the wasp
species he mentions, and suspect he meant P. bifasciata
Saussure, a widespread species in South America. As noted
in the last paragraph, C.K. Starr (pers. comm.) suggests the
models are Agelaia spp. wasps. All MJWC’s records were
of adults of both sexes attracted to heliotrope by day.
Status in Trinidad. A fairly common and widespread
species in Trinidad, but more frequently attracted to
heliotrope in forested areas.
POLIOPASTEA HAMPSON, 1898
Type species Poliopastea plumbea Hampson, 1898, TL
Brazil, Amazon. Kaye and Lamont (1927) treated P.
plumbea as a synonym of Macrocneme eacus, along with M.
vittata (i.e. P. vittata) and M. nigritarsia (a misidentication
of P. vittata). Macrocneme eacus is an unavailable name
for which the replacement name is P. errans (see below
under P. maroniensis). Since P. plumbea is the type species
of Poliopastea, they concluded that Poliopastea must be
a synonym of Macrocneme. Fleming (1957) maintained
this arrangement, but Dietz and Duckworth (1976) re-
established Poliopastea and listed its species. They noted
that ‘themarkingsofthehead,patagia,tegulae,andrst
abdominal tergite are often metallic blue or blue white …
In the genus Macrocneme (sensu stricto) these markings
are characteristically white with little or no iridescence.’
Moreover, the genitalia are completely dierent.
Hampson (1914) listed three females of P. cyllarus
(Druce) (as Macrocneme cyllarus) from ‘Tobago I.’ in
NHMUK; this is an error for Taboga Island (Panama), which
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
60 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Druce (1881-1900) mis-spelt Toboga Isl.’ in the original
description.
Poliopastea chrysotarsia (Hampson, 1898)
Fig. 106.
OD: Hampson 1898: Macrocneme chrysotarsia, TL
Panama, Taboga Is.
Historical notes. A new record for Trinidad. Identied by
comparison with the type (NHMUK, ♂ Panama, Taboga
Is.) and NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. There are only two short sequences in
Fig. 105. Female Pleurosoma trinitatis, Parrylands Oileld, to Heliotropium, 25.vii.1981; 27 mm.
Fig. 106. Male Poliopastea chrysotarsia, Curepe, BLT, 6–11.xii.1981 (F.D. Bennett); 30 mm.
Fig. 104. Male Pleurosoma trinitatis, Lower Morne Catharine, to Heliotropium, 21.v.1982; 24 mm.
61
BOLD from Venezuela and Panama. Dietz and Duckworth
(1976) transferred this species to Poliopastea.
Identication. The orange tarsi of the hindlegs are very
distinctive amongst Trinidad species, but we have not
recognised the female, and do not know if it also shows
this feature.
Biology in Trinidad. The only known Trinidad specimen
was caught in a black light trap (BLT).
Status in Trinidad. A rare species with just one record
from Curepe.
Poliopastea maroniensis (Schaus, 1905)
Fig. 107, Appendix Figs. 14, 34.
OD: Schaus 1905: Macrocneme maroniensis, TL French
Guiana.
Historical notes. This species has not previously been
identied from Trinidad. Dissection of a Trinidad
male (Appendix Fig. 34) showed it to be identical to P.
maroniensis as treated by Cerda (2008). Accordingly, we
use this name here.
Taxonomic issues. No public sequences in BOLD.
Dietz and Duckworth (1976) transferred this species to
Poliopastea.
Stoll (1782 in Stoll 1780–1782) described Sphinx
eacus from Suriname, but it is an unavailable homonym of
Sphinx eacus Cramer, 1780 (replacement name Eumorpha
megaeacus (Hübner [1819]), Sphingidae) and Sphinx
aeacus [Denis and Schiermüller], 1775 (synonym of
Zygaena ephialtes coronillae [Denis and Schiermüller],
1775, Zygaenidae) (Dietz and Duckworth 1976, Kitching
and Cadiou 2000). The unavailable name P. eacus
(Stoll) still appears on the internet (e.g. LepIndex). The
replacement name for Stoll’s Sphinx eacus is P. errans
(Hübner, [1819]), and MJWC had provisionally identied
the Trinidad species as P. errans by comparison with the
NHMUK series. However, Stoll’s type material is believed
lost, and the identity of this species should be considered
uncertain (Dietz and Duckworth 1976), unless and until a
neotype is designated.
Identication. At rst sight, this species resembles one of
the Macrocneme spp. However, all Trinidad Macrocneme
spp. have the tarsi of the hind legs white, whereas in
Macrocneme maroniensis they are black. The metallic
green sheen to the dorsal forewings distinguishes this
species from P. vittata which has bright iridescent green
streaks in the basal two-thirds of the forewing.
Biology in Trinidad. The only Trinidad specimens were
captured at light.
Status in Trinidad. A rare species with only two records
revealing no particular habitat association.
Poliopastea plumbea Hampson, 1898
Figs. 108–110, Appendix Figs. 15, 35.
OD: Hampson 1898: Poliopastea plumbea, TL Brazil,
Parantins (Lower Amazons).
TT: Poliopastea plumbea (Hampson): Kaye (1901), Zerny
(1912)
Macrocneme eacus (Stoll): Kaye and Lamont (1927)
[misidentication; unavailable homonym]
Macrocneme albitarsia Hampson: Lamont and Callan
(1950) [synonym]
Macrocneme plumbea (Hampson): Fleming (1957)
Historical notes. Identied by comparison with the type of
P. plumbea (NHMUK, ♂ Brazil) and NHMUK series. Kaye
(1901) recorded this species from Maraval Valley (C.W.
Ellacombe); there is a specimen from Maraval Valley (no
date or collector) in MGCL from W.J. Kaye’s collection,
which may be the basis of this record. Kaye and Lamont
(1927) treated P. plumbea as a synonym of Macrocneme
eacus. In addition to the Maraval specimen, they refer to
specimens from Palmiste (14.vii.1917, 9.ix.1917, 5.iv.1921,
N. Lamont); these specimens are in Lamont’s collection
in NMS – the rst is P. vittata and labelled by Lamont
as such, the other two are P. plumbea and were labelled
by Lamont as M. eacus. Seven specimens in Lamont’s
collection in UWIZM as M. eacus appear to be a mixture
Fig. 107. Male Poliopastea maroniensis, Curepe, MVL, 31.viii.1978; 35 mm.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
62 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
of Macrocneme spp.
Macrocneme albitarsia (Hampson, 1898) (Type
NHMUK, ♀ TL Brazil, Amazons, Tabatinga) is a synonym
(Dietz and Duckworth 1976). Lamont and Callan (1950)
listed M. albitarsia from Trinidad, referring to specimens
from Palmiste (26.ii.1926, 2.ii.1936, N. Lamont). Neither
of these specimens has been located, but four specimens
Fig. 108. Male Poliopastea plumbea, Curepe, MVL, 12-15.xii.1980; 26 mm.
Fig. 109. Female Poliopastea plumbea, Palmiste, 9.ix.1917 [N.
Lamont] [NMS as Macrocneme eacus]; 28 mm; photo V. Blagoderov;
© NMS, with permission.
Fig. 110. Male Poliopastea plumbea, Penal, 18.iv.2014, K.
Sookdeo; ©, with permission.
in Lamont’s collection in UWIZM as M. albitarsia are all
P. plumbea.
Fleming (1957) considered P. plumbea, P. vittata and P.
nigritarsia to all be distinct species, although he maintained
Poliopastea as a synonym of Macrocneme. He recorded
four male P. plumbea from Simla and reported males from
Caparo and San Fernando in NHMUK, although we have
not located these two specimens.
Taxonomic issues. Dissection of a Trinidad male (Appendix
Fig. 35) shows the genitalia do not match Cerda’s (2008)
P. plumbea, or any other species he treated. The genitalia
do match those of a male in the collection of M. Laguerre
from El Dorado, Bolivar, Venezuela. Cerda’s (2008) P.
plumbea is the species we treat below as P. vittata. The
Trinidad species treated here as P. plumbea appears to match
BIN BOLD:AAN5470 from Peru (6) and Guyana (1), the
latter having been dissected and identied as P. plumbea
by R.E. Dietz.
Identication. This species is distinctive by its smaller
size, and the uniform blackish tone of the wings.
Biology in Trinidad. Attracted to light by night, but no
observations at heliotrope.
Status in Trinidad. A fairly common and widespread
species in disturbed areas.
Poliopastea vittata (Walker, 1854)
Figs. 111–113, Appendix Figs. 16, 36.
OD: Walker 1854: Euchromia vittata, TL Brazil.
Strand 1917: Macrocneme nigritarsia ab. trinitatensis,
TL Trinidad [unavailable infraspecic name]
TT: Macrocneme nigritarsia Hampson ab. 1: Hampson
(1898) [synonym]
Macrocneme nigritarsia Hampson: Zerny (1912),
Draudt (1915–1917) [misidentication]
Macrocneme nigritarsia ab. trinitatensis (Strand):
Strand (1917) [unavailable infraspecic name]
Macrocneme nigrotarsia [sic] Hampson: Fleming
(1950) [misidentication]
Macrocneme vittata Walker: Fleming (1957)
63
Historical notes. Hampson (1898) described Macrocneme
nigritarsia from Mexico, Guatemala (TL) and Trinidad. He
segregated the Trinidad specimen as ‘Ab. 1’ noting ‘white
sublateral spots on the four medial segments of abdomen’.
Strand (1917) named Hampson’s Ab. 1 as ‘ab.’ trinitatensis,
but as an infraspecic name that has not subsequently
been used as a species or subspecies, it is an unavailable
name. Kaye (1901) recorded Macrocneme nigritarsia from
Trinidad, based on Hampson (1898). As noted above, Kaye
and Lamont (1927) treated M. nigritarsia as a synonym
of Macrocneme eacus. Dietz and Duckworth (1976)
transferred nigritarsia to Poliopastea and designated a
lectotype in NHMUK.
Fig. 111. Male Poliopastea vittata, Curepe, MVL, 23.i.1979; 28 mm.
Fig. 112. Female Poliopastea vittata, Bordenal Savana, MVL, 20.ix.1979 (F.D. Bennett & R.M. Baranowski); 30 mm.
Walker (1854) described Euchromia (section Macrocneme)
vittata from Para, Brazil (type NHMUK). Fleming (1957)
recognized ab. trinitatensis as a normal female of M. vittata
and recorded ve males and four females from Simla, as
well as 14 males and 16 females in NHMUK (Caparo (1),
Ariapite Valley (4) and ‘Trinidad’ (25)), but MJWC failed to
locate these specimens in NHMUK. Dietz and Duckworth
(1976) conrmed this synonymy and designated a female
lectotype for M. vittata (NHMUK). Identied by comparison
with the type (now lectotype, NHMUK, ♀ Brazil, Para) and
type of trinitatensis Strand.
Taxonomic issues. Dietz and Duckworth (1976) transferred
this species to Poliopastea. The genitalia of a Trinidad
specimen are a very close match to those illustrated by
Cerda (2008) for P. plumbea.
BOLD includes specimen from Colombia and Ecuador
identied as P. vittata by Dietz. The former is in BIN
BOLD:AAD1862 which includes material with partially
yellow hindleg tarsi identied as P. auripes (Walker). The
latter has no sequence. More work is needed.
Identication. The most distal tarsi of the hind legs are
white, so that this species resembles a small Macrocneme
species. However, the uninterrupted, distinct bright metallic
streaks in the basal two-thirds of the forewing distinguish it.
Biology in Trinidad. MJWC reared two specimens from
caterpillars collected at Macoya Gardens on ‘a vine’ but
recorded no details.
Status in Trinidad. A fairly common species in disturbed
Fig. 113. Female Poliopastea vittata, Penal, 28.i.2014, K. Sookdeo;
©, with permission.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
64 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
situations.
PSEUDOMYA HÜBNER, [1819]
Type species: Glaucopis tipulina Hübner, [1812], TL not
stated (Butler 1876). Hampson (1898) overlooked Butler’s
type species designation, when he treated P. melanthus as
the type species. Cerda (2008) recognized three groups
within this genus. Of the Trinidad species, P. tipulina and
P.aicta are in the rst group, while P. melanthus is in the
third (second on genitalia CD). It seems plausible that these
groups will be found to represent distinct genera.
Pseudomya aicta (Walker, 1854)
Figs. 114–117.
OD: Walker 1854: Glaucopis (Pseudomya) aicta, TL
Amazons, Para.
TT: Saurita temenus (Cramer): Kaye (1901), Zerny (1912),
Draudt (1915–1917), Kaye and Lamont (1927)
[misidentication]
Saurita salta (Schaus): Kaye and Lamont (1927),
Fleming (1957) [misidentication]
Saurita concisa (Walker): Kaye and Lamont (1927),
Fleming (1957) [misidentication]
Sauritaaicta (Walker): Fleming (1957), Blest (1964)
Pseudomya aicta (Walker): Cerda (2008)
Historical notes. Hampson (1898) treated aicta as a
synonym of Saurita temenus (Stoll) (TL Suriname). Forbes
(1939) separated them and Fleming (1957) pointed out that
several authors have incorrectly followed Hampson and
treated aicta as a synonym of temenus. Cerda (2008)
conrmed this position. Thus, Kaye (1901) and Kaye and
Lamont (1927) recorded S. temenus from Trinidad based on
‘several specimens in May at Tabaquite (W.J. Kaye)’. We
have not located any specimens labelled from Tabaquite in
NHMUK, but there are three specimens of P.aicta labelled
as S. temenus in MGCL from W.J. Kaye’s collection, which
may be taken as representative. Fleming (1957) suggested
that Kaye and Lamont’s (1927) records of S. temenus refer
to P. aicta and the specimens in MGCL conrm this
view. Fleming (1957) recorded 12 males and ve females
from Simla. Cerda (2008) moved this species from Saurita
to Pseudomya, and reports a specimen from Chaguanas,
Trinidad. This species was identied by comparison with
the type of aicta (NHMUK, ♀ Para, Brazil) and NHMUK
series (over the name S. temenus).
Saurita salta (Schaus, 1905) (TL Venezuela) supercially
resembles the male of P.aicta. Saurita salta was recorded
from Trinidad by Kaye and Lamont (1927) without
comment, but this seems to have been a misidentication.
Saurita salta is identied by comparison with the type
(USNM, ♂ Venezuela) and NHMUK series (Venezuela to
Ecuador); there are no specimens from Trinidad in NHMUK
or USNM, and we know of no records. There is a male P.
aicta in OUMNH labelled by W.J. Kaye as S. salta; this
may well be the basis of Kaye and Lamont’s (1927) record
and supports the view that this was a misidentication.
According to Hampson (1898), Druce (1881-1900) treated
S. salta as S.aicta, which suggests the source of the error.
Kaye and Lamont (1927) also recorded Sauritinia
concisa (Walker) from Trinidad (as Saurita concisa),
referring to specimens from Palmiste (24.xi.1917,
10.iii.1918, 13.i.1921, N. Lamont), the rst two of which are
in Lamont’s collection in NMS and are S.aicta. There are
two males and two females in Lamont’s UWIZM collection
as S. concisa, including the third of those referred to by Kaye
and Lamont (1927); all are P.aicta. MJWC examined the
type of S. concisa (NHMUK, ♂ Para, Brazil) and NHMUK
series, and did not recognize this as a Trinidad species.
Kaye and Lamont’s (1927) record is therefore considered
to be a misidentication for P.aicta. Hampson (1898)
placed concisa in Saurita, but Cerda (2008) transferred it
to Sauritinia.
Taxonomic issues. Sequenced specimens from Costa
Rica currently identied as Pseudomya aicta form
BIN BOLD:AAA1455 are not this species, but probably
Pseudosphex leovazquezae (Pérez and Sánchez).
Identication. This is the only Trinidad species with
extensive translucent areas on the wings and a dark margin
that is diuse rather than sharply dened, combined with a
Fig. 114. Male Pseudomya aicta, Curepe, to Heliotropium, 28.ix.1980; 22 mm
65
Fig. 115. Female Pseudomya aicta, Parrylands Oileld, to Heliotropium, 7.xi.1980; 21 mm.
Fig. 116. Male Pseudomya aicta, La Vega Estate, at Chromolaena
owers, 13.i.2020, D. Gunn (iNaturalist observation 37571413);
©, under CC-BY-NC.
Fig. 117. Female Pseudomya aicta, South Oropouche, Mon
Desir, at eupatorium owers, 2.x.2020, T.P. Maharaj (iNaturalist
observation 91874904); ©, under CC-BY-NC.
red dorsal thorax. The translucent areas are more extensive
in the female, coming closer to the margin (Figs. 114–117).
Biology in Trinidad. Attracted to heliotrope and owers
by day and light by night.
Status in Trinidad. A common and widespread species.
Pseudomya melanthus (Stoll, 1782)
Figs. 118–121, Appendix Figs. 17, 37.
OD: Stoll 1782: Sphinx melanthus, TL Suriname.
TT: Pseudomya melanthus (Stoll): Hampson (1914), Draudt
(1915–1917), Kaye and Lamont (1927), Fleming
(1957)
Historical notes. Hampson (1914) listed a specimen
from Ariapite Valley in the Rothschild collection. Kaye
and Lamont (1927) recorded this species from Maraval
Valley, ying in sunshine viii.1917 (W. Buthn). Buthn’s
specimen was examined in MGCL (ex. W.J. Kaye coll.).
Fleming (1957) recorded one male and one female from
Simla. Identied by comparison with the NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. No public sequences in BOLD. This
species is close to P. nigrozona Schaus (TL French Guiana)
as treated by Cerda (2008), the main dierence being the
red dots on the thorax of P. melanthus. The male genitalia
(Appendix Fig. 37) are also similar, but dierent enough to
indicate that they are separate species.
Identication. This species has transparent wings with
dark veins, a narrowly black margin, and broad bars from
the costa across the distal one third of the forewing cell to
the dorsum and across the apex of the hindwing. It also has
red spots on the thorax and a white spot dorso-laterally on
abdominal segment 1. No other Trinidad species has this
combination of characters. The sexes are similar but the
female is less heavily marked.
Biology in Trinidad. Elizabeth Rankin reared this species
from citrus (Rutaceae) in 1968, as did Rachel Cruttwell in
1971. The latter, who was studying Psychinae (Tineidae) at
the time, including epiphyte-feeding species, added a note
‘?feeds on lichens’. Sattvika Ragoonanan reared a female
from a cocoon found on Spondias dulcis Parkinson (golden
apple, Anacardiaceae) in San Francique (Fig. 121), but there
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
66 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 118. Male Pseudomya melanthus, Curepe, 19.ix.1980; 23 mm.
Fig. 119. Female Pseudomya melanthus, Curepe, MVL, 3.i.1980; 23 mm.
Fig. 120. Male Pseudomya melanthus, South Oropouche, Mon
Desir, on owers of Austroeupatorium inulaefolium, 1.x.2020, T.P.
Maharaj (iNaturalist observation 91860995); ©, under CC-BY-NC.
Fig. 121. Female Pseudomya melanthus newly emerged
with cocoon on Spondias dulcis, San Francique, 29.i.2022,
S. Ragoonanan (iNaturalist observation 105776698); ©, with
permission.
67
Biology in Trinidad. Nothing known.
Status in Trinidad. Only known from an old series
collected at Caparo, when the area was probably still well
forested.
PSOLOPTERA BUTLER 1876
Type species: Euchromia thoracica Walker, 1854, TL
Brazil, Amazon. Simmons (2006) revised this genus and
illustrated the male and female genitalia.
Psoloptera leucosticta (Hübner, 1827)
Figs. 123–124, Appendix Figs. 18, 38.
OD: Hübner 1827: Glaucopis leucosticta, TL Venezuela.
TT: Psoloptera leucosticta (Hübner): Strand (1915), Draudt
(1915–1917), Kaye and Lamont (1927), Fleming
(1950), Fleming (1957), Cerda (2008)
Historical notes. Strand (1915) recorded three examples
from Caparo in German museums. Kaye and Lamont (1927)
listed specimens from Guaico (18.iv.1915, N. Lamont) and
Palmiste (22.v.1917, 30.ix.1917, N. Lamont), all three of
which MJWC have examined in NMS. Fleming (1957)
had no records, but Cerda (2008) had seen one from Arima.
Identied by comparison with the NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. As the type is apparently lost, Simmons
(2006) designated a lectotype (USNM, ♂ Venezuela,
Maroni River), but clearly this is not part of the original
material described by Hübner, so it is potentially a neotype
designation. However, Simmons’ action does not meet the
qualifying conditions for designation of a neotype (ICZN
Article 75.3) and is therefore invalid.
Two Trinidad females have been sequenced and the
DNA barcodes placed in BOLD, forming part of BIN
BOLD:AAA1364. There is signicant variation within this
BIN (average distance 0.85%, maximum distance 2.44%),
which includes material resembling P. thoracica with a
rufous thorax. BOLD:AAA1364 is 4.43% distant from its
nearest neighbour (P. basifulva, BOLD:AAX7536). Within
Fig. 122. Male (left) and female (right) Pseudomya tipulina, Caparo (F. Birch) [NHMUK supplementary]; ©, The Trustees of the Natural
History Museum, London, made available under Creative Commons License 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
was no evidence to show what the caterpillar had fed upon.
There are records of adults at euphorbia and eupatorium
owers by day (Fig. 120), and they are also attracted to
lights by night.
Status in Trinidad. An occasional species in disturbed
areas.
Pseudomya tipulina (Hübner, [1812]) complex
Fig. 122.
OD: Hübner [1812] (in Hübner 1806–[1819]): Glaucopis
tipulina, TL not stated.
Historical notes. This species has not previously been
reported from Trinidad, and MJWC has not collected it
himself. Hence, he was surprised to nd a series in the
NHMUK supplementary material collected at Caparo by
F. Birch and S.M. Klages early last century. Identied by
comparison with the NHMUK series including the type of P.
bibia Walker, 1854 (NHMUK, ♂ Brazil, Para), a synonym
according to Butler (1877).
Taxonomic issues. Sequences in BOLD from Mexico to
Peru as P. tipulina form BIN BOLD:ABZ3603, but this
material lacks the blue-green markings on the thorax and
base of the forewing seen in Trinidad material, and the
forewings of the Trinidad specimens are more evenly smoky
(Fig. 122). This group is badly in need of revision and an
identication is presently very dicult, especially based on
images only. The specimens comprising BOLD:ABZ3603
resemble Hübner’s gures (Hübner 1806–[1819], pl. [163]).
Given that the Trinidad material was compared with the type
of P. bibia, it may be that this is a separate valid species, and
potentially the correct name for the material from Trinidad.
Identication. Like P.aicta, this species has extensive
translucent areas on both wings, with a diuse margin.
Unlike P.aicta, the thorax is black with a dorsal metallic
blue-green spot posteriorly and similar spots on the head and
base of the dorsal forewings. Like P.aicta, the translucent
areas are less extensive in the male (Figs. 122).
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
68 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
BOLD:AAA1364, there at least ve groups, including
(1) a large group of identical DNA barcodes, comprising
material identied as P. thoracica DHJ03 from Costa Rica
(many), P. thoracica from Panama, French Guiana, Brazil
(Para), and the two Trinidad samples. Other clusters within
BOLD:AAA1364 suggest additional taxa, including (2) P.
thoracica DHJ01 from Costa Rica, Peru and French Guiana,
(3) P. thoracica DHJ02 from Costa Rica, (4) P. thoracica
from Peru, and (5) P. thoracica from Peru and French
Guiana. The rst cluster (1) including P. thoracica DHJ03,
comprises material from Central America that resembles
P. thoracica and material from South America (including
Trinidad and Tobago) which resembles P. leucosticta. In
view of this complexity, it will be necessary to dissect males
from the dierent groups to assess potential species level
dierences. Furthermore, at this point it cannot be certain
which groups within BOLD:AAA1364 can be associated
with the genitalia which Simmons (2006) gured for P.
leucosticta and P. thoracica.
MJWC dissected a Trinidad male (Appendix Fig. 38)
which is a reasonable match to the genitalia for P. leucosticta
illustrated by Simmons (2006, Figs. 9-10), but as only
Trinidad females have been sequenced, to match Appendix
Fig. 38 with the group of sequences that includes P. thoracica
DHJ03 requires the assumption that only one DNA cluster
occurs in Trinidad. Pending further work we consider it
appropriate to refer to the material from Trinidad as P.
leucosticta, in line with the treatment of Simmons (2006).
Identication. This species is black with a blue tone. At
least ve Trinidad species of Ctenuchina are supercially
similar, with plain black forewings, but in P. leucosticta
the small white spots at the base of the dorsal forewings,
anterior to the forewing base, subdorsally and subventrally
on abdominal segment 1, and in a ventral row on abdominal
segments 2–6 are distinctive. The male has very broad
bipectinate antennae.
Biology in Trinidad. Adults have been captured on owers
by day and at light by night.
Status in Trinidad. An uncommon species primarily from
forested areas.
RHYNCHOPYGA FELDER 1874
Type species: Rhynchopyga ichneumonea Felder, 1874, TL
Colombia, Bogota.
Rhynchopyga avicollis (Druce, 1884)
Figs. 125–128, Appendix Figs. 19, 39.
OD: Druce 1884: Amyclesavicollis, TL Guatemala
TT: Rhynchopyga avicollis (Druce): Fleming (1957)
Historical notes. Fleming (1957) introduced R.avicollis
to the Trinidad list, based on a single male from Simla.
Taxonomic issues. Fleming (1957) commented that his
‘male specimen lacks the orange streak on the patagia
present on the holotype’ and ‘also has less orange on the
Fig. 123. Male Psoloptera leucosticta, Inniss Field, MVL, 17.v.1999; 35 mm.
Fig. 124. Female Psoloptera leucosticta, Inniss Field, MVL, 17.v.1999; 35 mm.
69
tegulae’. The holotype (Fig. 125) does not have an orange
streak on the patagia, although it does have some orange
on the tegulae, so it is not clear how to interpret Fleming’s
comment. Provisionally, we accept Fleming’s identication,
and add a female from Parrylands that closely resembles
the male holotype.
There is a second morph in Trinidad, with a white discal
spot, quite similar to R. discalba Kaye (type NHMUK, ♂
Fig. 125. Male type of Rhynchopyga avicollis, Guatemala
[NHMUK]; ©, The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London,
made available under Creative Commons License 4.0 https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Fig. 126. Female Rhynchopyga avicollis (morph with no white forewing spot), Parrylands Oileld, to Heliotropium, 7.xi.1980; 18 mm.
Panama); the male and female both have the white spot
on the forewing, but coming closer to the costa than in
Trinidad specimens. However; the distal half of the ventral
abdomen is orange in R. discalba, but white in Trinidad
material. Rhynchopyga albigutta Draudt (1915–1917, pl.
15e) (type MNHM, ♀ Peru) is similar and may prove to be
the female of R. discalba. Here we treat the morph with a
white forewing spot as a morph of R.avicollis, as follows.
ML dissected a DNA barcoded male of R. avicollis
from Guatemala (BIN BOLD:AAA1305), and MJWC
dissected a Trinidad male with a white spot on the forewing
(Appendix Fig. 39). No Trinidad males without a white
spot were available for dissection. There is little dierence
between the two dissections, so for now we treat the two
Trinidad forms as morphs of R.avicollis pending further
study. DNA barcodes of the two forms from Trinidad should
be compared with those for R.avicollis from Guatemala.
Identication. This is one of the smallest Trinidad
Euchromiina. Both morphs have mostly dark wings and
body apart from an orange-brown patagia. The morph with
a white forewing spot also has a translucent pale streak basal
to this, mostly in space 2 (Cu1-Cu2); no other Trinidad species
has such markings. The morph without a white forewing
Fig. 127. Male Rhynchopyga avicollis (morph with white forewing spot), Curepe, to Heliotropium, 21.v.1981; 21 mm.
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
70 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 128. Female Rhynchopyga avicollis (morph with white forewing spot), Curepe, MVL, ii.1973 [R.E. Cruttwell]; 18 mm.
spot (avicollis habitus) has faint slightly translucent areas
in space 2 (Cu1-Cu2) and cell; which combined with the
small size and orange-brown colour make it distinctive.
Biology in Trinidad. Most records are of specimens of
both sexes attracted to heliotrope.
Status in Trinidad. An uncommon species from diverse
habitats.
SAURITA HERRICH-SCHÄFFER 1855
Type species: Sphinx cassandra Linnaeus, 1758, TL
Fig. 129. Male Saurita cassandra, Curepe, MVL, 6–11.xii.1980; 34 mm.
America.
Saurita cassandra (Linnaeus, 1758)
Figs. 129–132.
OD: Linnaeus 1758: Sphinx cassandra, TL America.
TT: Saurita cassandra (Linnaeus): Hampson (1898), Kaye
(1901), Zerny (1912), Strand (1915), Draudt (1915–
1917), Kaye and Lamont (1927), Fleming (1950),
Fleming (1957), Cerda (2008)
Historical notes. Hampson (1898) rst recorded this
species from Trinidad collected by Capt. Clark; presumably
Fig. 130. Female Saurita cassandra, Curepe, BLT, 23.i-10.ii.1982 (F.D. Bennett); 34 mm.
71
Fig. 131. Female Saurita cassandra, Penal, 29.xi.2014, K. Sookdeo; ©, with permission.
Fig. 132. Mating pair of Saurita cassandra, Union to Carital,
18.i.2022, S. Ramsaroop (iNaturalist observation 105154325); ©,
under CC-BY-NC.
this specimen was in NHMUK, but we have not located it
there. Kaye (1901) collected it at owers and at light in
July 1898. Kaye and Lamont (1927) added records from
Palmiste (3.ii.1921, 11.iii.1921, 27.xii.1921, 19.iii.1922, N.
Lamont) and Morne Diable (1.v.1921, N. Lamont); three of
the Palmiste specimens are in NMS and the Morne Diable
specimen is in NHMUK. Fleming (1957) recorded just
one male from Simla, and Cerda (2008) one specimen from
Chaguanas. Identied by comparison with the NHMUK
series.
Taxonomic issues. A series from French Guiana and Brazil
(Para) constitute BIN BOLD:AAM8412, which is expected
to be where Trinidad sequences will cluster when available.
Identication. The brown forewings with black veins are
similar to some Episcepsis spp. (Ctenuchina), but the red
spots on the patagia and laterally on abdominal segment 1,
and the metallic blue spots on the dorsal head and laterally
on abdominal segments 2–4 are distinctive. Sexes similar,
the female a little darker.
Biology in Trinidad. This species is most frequently found
attracted to lights by night, but also ies by day when it is
attracted to owers, but not to heliotrope.
Status in Trinidad. A common and widespread species,
primarily in open disturbed areas.
Saurita concisa Walker (see Pseudomyaaicta)
Saurita lacteata Schaus (see Hypocharis arimensis)
Saurita perspicua Schaus, 1905
Figs. 133–136, Appendix Figs. 20–21, 40.
OD: Schaus 1905: Saurita perspicua, TL Trinidad.
TT: Saurita perspicua Schaus: Schaus (1905), Hampson
(1914), Zerny (1912), Draudt (1915–1917), Kaye and
Lamont (1927), Fleming (1957)
Historical notes. Saurita perspicua was described from
Trinidad (Schaus 1905) and included in Kaye and Lamont
(1927) and Fleming (1957) based on the original description,
without further records.
Taxonomic issues. No public sequences in BOLD. MJWC
initially identied this species as Chrostosoma guianensis
Kaye by comparison with the types (NHMUK, ♂, ♀
Guyana). However, he subsequently examined the type
of S. perspicua (USNM, ♀ Trinidad), and concluded that
they are probably synonyms. Either way, S. perspicua is
the older name and appropriate to use for Trinidad.
The male genitalia (Appendix Fig. 40) show little
resemblance to those of S. cassandra as illustrated by Cerda
(2008), which is the type species of Saurita. The two species
should not be considered congeneric, but at this stage we
cannot suggest an appropriate genus for S. perspicua.
Identication. This small species has smoky transparent
wings with black veins and margins, resembling species
of Valvaminor. However, unlike any Trinidad species of
Valvaminor, S. perspicua has a red spot anterior to the base
of the forewing, a red streak on the tegulae. The wings of
the female are more smoky, and in the male only, the femora
of the fore and mid legs are white.
Biology in Trinidad. All adults for which information is
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
72 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 133. Male Saurita perspicua, Inniss Field, MVL, 17.v.1999; 20 mm.
Fig. 134. Female Saurita perspicua, Inniss Field, MVL: ♀ 17.v.1999; 25 mm.
Fig. 135. Female holotype Saurita perspicua, Trinidad [USNM].
available seem to have been attracted to light.
Status in Trinidad. Usually an uncommon species in
forested areas, mostly recorded from the South.
Saurita salta (Schaus) (see Pseudomyaaicta)
Saurita temenus (Stoll) (see Pseudomyaaicta)
SPHECOSOMA BUTLER, 1876
Type species Sphecosoma fasciolatum Butler, 1876, TL,
Brazil, Matto Grosso, by original designation. Synonyms
include Sphecops Orla, 1935 (Simmons and Weller 2006
[as stated by Cerda 2008]). Pleurosoma trinitatis was
previously in the combination Sphecosoma trinitatis.
Sphecosoma aurantiipes Rothschild, 1911
Figs. 90, 137, Appendix Figs. 22, 41.
OD: Rothschild 1911: Sphecosoma aurantiipes, TL San
Esteban, Venezuela.
73
Fig. 136. Male Saurita perspicua, Penal, at light, 15.iii.2014, K.
Sookdeo; ©, with permission.
TT: Sphecops aurantiipes (Rothschild): Fleming (1957)
Historical notes. The rst Trinidad record was by
Fleming (1957), who recorded seven males from Simla.
Identied by comparison with the type (NHMUK, ♂ San
Esteban, Venezuela) and NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. Rothschild (1911) described S.
aurantiipes from Venezuela, Paraguay and Bolivia,
designating a male from San Esteban. Venezuela the
holotype. He notes that the material from Paraguay
and Bolivia is much smaller, the forewing being 10 mm
compared to the 14 mm of the type. Fleming (1957)
identied this species by comparison with the holotype in
NHMUK. He indicated that the forewing length of the
holotype is actually 12.5 mm, whereas Trinidad specimens
have a forewing length of 10–11 mm. Trinidad specimens
in MJWC measure 10–12 mm. Given that Trinidad
material is comparable with the type in size, there seems
no reason to doubt this identication. However, dissection
of a Trinidad male shows the genitalia (Appendix Fig.
41) to be more or less identical with those illustrated
Fig. 137. Male Sphecosoma aurantiipes, Chaguaramas, to Heliotropium, 24.iii.1982; 24 mm.
by Cerda (2008) for S. testaceum (Walker, 1854), which
was described from Demerara, Guyana. As illustrated by
Cerda (2008), the habitus of S. testaceum is similar to that
of S. aurantiipes, but the thorax is more heavily marked
in black, and the abdomen banded in brown with less
contrasting pale rings. Neither type has been dissected.
There are no sequences available in BOLD to help clarify
this, so we do not resolve this issue at this time, but retain
the existing names.
Identication. See under Pleurosoma trinitatis above. The
female of S. aurantiipes is not known to us, but is expected
to resemble the male closely.
Biology in Trinidad. All Trinidad records are of males
ying by day, and all except one were attracted to heliotrope.
Status in Trinidad. An occasional species, mostly in
forested areas.
Sphecosoma trinitatis (see Pleurosoma trinitatis)
SYNTOMEIDA HARRIS, 1839
Type species: Glaucopis ipomoeae Harris, 1839, TL USA,
Georgia.
Syntomeida melanthus (Cramer, 1779)
Figs. 138–139.
OD: Cramer 1779: Sphinx melanthus, TL Suriname.
TT: Syntomeida melanthus (Cramer): Kaye and Lamont
(1927), Fleming (1957).
Historical notes. Kaye and Lamont (1927) recorded a
specimen from San Fernando (7.x.1917, R.M. Farmborough),
which MJWC examined in OUMNH (Fig. 139). Fleming
(1957) had no records. Identied by comparison with the
NHMUK series.
Taxonomic issues. In BOLD, material identied as
S. melanthus from Costa Rica and USA forms BIN
BOLD:AAA1416. As this species was described from
Suriname, sequences from South America would be useful
to conrm that just one species is present, and this is the
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
74 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 138. Male Syntomeida melanthus, Curepe, MVL, 1971 (R.E. Cruttwell); 38 mm.
Fig. 139. Female Syntomeida melanthus (basal and apical spots F
only), San Fernando, mostly on hill, 7.x.1917 (R.W. Farmborough)
[OUMNH].
correct BIN for this species. Based on BOLD:AAA1416,
this species is highly variable in the extent of the yellow
spotting on the wings.
Identication. The wings are dark with yellow spotting.
The two specimens from Trinidad indicate that the forewing
spotting is variable, but both have spots near the base of
the wing and on the costa at about two-thirds to apex. This
combined with white bands on abdominal segments 1 and
2, and red bands on segments 3–5 make this species readily
recognizable. Napata broadwayi (Schaus) (Ctenuchina) has
a supercially similar habitus, but the abdomen is bronzy
green, and the spotting of the wings and body is dierently
arranged. The male of S. melanthus has strongly bipectinate
antennae, the female less so. The single male from Trinidad
(Fig. 138) is slightly more heavily spotted than Cramer’s
original illustration of a male (Cramer 1777–1782, pl.
248C), whereas the female has much reduced spotting in
comparison (Fig. 139). We anticipate that this species is
very variable in Trinidad, as noted for BOLD:AAA1416 in
Costa Rica and USA.
Biology in Trinidad. The San Fernando female specimen
appears to have been captured by day, whereas the male
Curepe specimen was caught in a mercury vapour light trap.
Status in Trinidad. Two Trinidad records: the original
female from San Fernando (Fig. 139), and a male in poor
condition from Curepe (Fig. 138).
VALVAMINOR CERDA, 2020
Type species Laemocharis masa Druce, 1889, TL Mexico.
Cerda (2020) established this genus for a group of species
previously placed in Mesothen Druce – the rst species
complex of Mesothen in Cerda (2008). Mesothen has
also been referred to as Mesothen Hampson, but Druce
has accidental precedence (Watson et al. 1980). Based
on previous denitions, Mesothen and Loxophlebia DNA
barcodes intermingle. Valvaminor is the branch that
groups material identied as Valvaminor sp. (Panama)
(BOLD:ADS3115), desperata (BOLD:AAU3098), davisi
(BOLD:AAE9322), and masa (BOLD:AAE4864).
Valvaminor desperata (Walker, 1856)
Figs. 140–141.
OD: Walker 1856: Pseudomya desperata, TL Amazon
[OUMNH].
TT: Mesothen desperata (Walker): Lamont and Callan
(1950), Fleming (1957)
Historical notes. Lamont and Callan (1950) recorded one
specimen on Asteraceae (= Compositae) by day at Palmiste,
20.iv.1926. This specimen was examined in NMS. Fleming
(1957) had no additional records. Identied by comparison
with the holotype (OUMNH, ♀ ‘Amaz’), NHMUK series,
and Cerda (2008).
Taxonomic issues. Cerda (2020) transferred this species
to Valvaminor and illustrated the genitalia. BINs
BOLD:AAA1393 and BOLD:AAU3098 from Brazil, Parana
are identied as M. desperata. The images are inadequate
to say, but our impression is that neither is M. desperata.
ML suggests that BIN BOLD:ADS3115 currently identied
as Valvaminor sp. is the true V. desperata.
Identication. Like Saurita perspicua and V. endoleuca,
this small species has smoky transparent wings, black veins
and wing margins. Valvaminor desperata and V. endoleuca
do not have the red spots on the thorax seen in S. perspicua.
Valvaminor desperata and V. endoleuca are very similar, but
75
Fig. 140. Male Valvaminor desperata, Arima Valley, Simla, MVL, 30.vii.1981; 17 mm.
Fig. 141. Female Valvaminor desperata, Arima Valley, Simla, to Heliotropium, 28.i.1981; 19 mm.
whereas the forewing termen margin of V. desperata is of
even width to the apex, in V. endoleuca the apical margin
is distinctly wider. Sexes similar apart from the strongly
bipectinate antennae of the male.
Biology in Trinidad. Adults are attracted to heliotrope by
day and to light by night.
Status in Trinidad. Uncommon; it is curious that Fleming
(1957) did not record this species from Simla, as all MJWC’s
specimens were collected there.
Valvaminor endoleuca (Druce, 1905)
Figs. 142–143. For gures of the details of body and male
genitalia, see Cock and Laguerre (2022).
OD: Druce 1905: Mesothen endoleuca, TL Venezuela.
TT: Mesothen endoleuca Druce: Fleming (1957)
Valvaminor endoleuca (Druce): Cock and Laguerre
(2022)
Historical notes. Fleming (1957) recorded six males and
5 females from Simla. Identied by comparison with the
type (NHMUK, ♂ Venezuela) and NHMUK series. Cock
and Laguerre (2022) transferred this species to Valvaminor
having documented the male genitalia.
Taxonomic issues. No public DNA barcodes in BOLD.
Identication. As discussed under V. desperata above.
Sexes similar apart from the strongly bipectinate antennae
of the male.
Biology in Trinidad. Adults are attracted to heliotrope by
day and to light by night.
Status in Trinidad. An uncommon, but widespread species,
mainly in forested areas.
Valvaminor jacerda Cock and Laguerre, 2022
Figs. 144–147. For gures of the details of body and male
genitalia, see Cock and Laguerre (2022).
OD: Cock and Laguerre 2022: Valvaminor jacerda, TL
Trinidad.
TT: Mesothen pyrrha (Schaus): Kaye and Lamont (1927),
Fleming (1957)
Valvaminor jacerda Cock and Laguerre: Cock and
Laguerre (2022)
Historical notes. Kaye and Lamont (1927) recorded
Mesothen pyrrha from Palmiste (22.ix.1916, 16.i.1921,
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
76 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 143. Female Valvaminor endoleuca, Parrylands Oileld, to Heliotropium: ♀ 25.vii.1981; 19 mm.
Fig. 144. Male Valvaminor jacerda, Las Lomas, Spanish Farm, to Heliotropium, 12.x.1980; 20 mm.
Fig. 142. Male Valvaminor endoleuca ♂, Parrylands Oileld, to Heliotropium, 25.vii.1981; 18 mm.
77
Fig. 145. Female Valvaminor jacerda, Curepe, v–vi.1979; 20 mm.
Fig. 146. Male Valvaminor jacerda, Penal, at light, 18.iv.2014, K.
Sookdeo; ©, with permission.
Fig. 147. Male Valvaminor ?jacerda, Tobago, Arnos Vale, at light,
11.vi.2022 R. Deo (iNaturalist observation 121361203) ©, with
permission.
23.ii.1921, 5.iv.1921, N. Lamont), noting that it is a common
species. Fleming (1957) recorded four males and a female
from Simla. Building on the work of Cerda (2008, 2020),
Cock and Laguerre (2022) described this species from
Trinidad and Venezuela as Valvaminor jacerda. A 2022
photographic record from Arnos Vale (Fig. 147) is the rst
from Tobago, but needs conrmation.
Taxonomic issues. No DNA barcodes available.
Identication. A small species with transparent wings,
black veins and sharply dened black margin. The orange-
red thorax distinguishes it from other small Euchromiina,
apart from Pseudomya aicta. The latter species has
a diuse edge to the black wing margins, whereas in V.
jacerda it is sharply dened. Sexes similar apart from the
strongly bipectinate antennae and grey or whitish ventral
ap of the male.
Biology in Trinidad. Adults are attracted to heliotrope by
day and to light by night.
Status in Trinidad. A common species and widespread
in lowland areas.
XANTHYDA DOGNIN, 1919
Type species Xanthyda anaxantha Dognin, 1919, TL French
Guiana, which is now a synonym of X. chalcosticta Butler,
1876, TL Brazil, Pará (Cerda 2008). This was to be a
Hampson genus with a dierent type species that Dognin
accidentally published prematurely (Cerda 2008).
Xanthyda beebei (Fleming, 1957)
Figs. 148–149, Appendix Figs. 23–24.
OD: Fleming 1957: Pheia beebei, TL Trinidad
TT: Pheia beebei Fleming: Fleming (1957)
Xanthyda beebei (Fleming): Cock and Laguerre (2022)
Historical notes. Fleming (1957) described and
illustrated Pheia beebei based on three males from Simla.
MJWC’s material was identied from Fleming (1957) and
subsequently by comparison with an image of the holotype
(AMNH 2022).
Taxonomic issues. No public sequences in BOLD. As
Wasp Moths of Trinidad & Tobago
78 Living World, J. Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club, 2023
Fig. 148. Male Xanthyda beebei, Parrylands Oileld, to Heliotropium, 25.vii.1981; 24 mm.
Fig. 149. Female Xanthyda beebei, Lalaja South Road, eupatorium owers, 25.ix.1982; 26 mm.
Fleming (1957) stated, this species is close to P. gaudens
Walker, 1856 (♂ type in OUMNH, TL Brazil, Para).
Cerda (2008) transferred P. gaudens to the combination
Xanthyda gaudens based on the male genitalia. Noting that
the two species are congeneric, Cock and Laguerre (2022)
transferred P. beebei to the combination Xanthyda beebei.
Identication. This small wasp mimic supercially
resembles the three Agelaia wasp mimics treated above
(Myrmecopsis kenedyae, Pleurosoma trinitatis and
Sphecosoma aurantiipes, Fig. 78), but both sexes of X.
beebei have a black margin to the wings – narrow in the
female, broader in the male. With the extensive yellow
markings on the body, they also supercially resemble three
Pseudosphex species (Ctenuchina): P. fulvisphex (Druce), P.
nigricornis (Fabricius) and an unidentied species, but X.
beebei diers in having black transverse bands the length
of the abdomen.
Biology in Trinidad. Both Trinidad records were by day,
the female at eupatorium owers and the male to heliotrope.
Cerda (2008) stated that X. gaudens is attracted to light.
Status in Trinidad. A rare species in Trinidad; both records
are from forested areas, one in the Northern Range and the
other in the south.
Xanthyda sp.
Fig. 150.
Historical notes. This record is based on a single specimen
in Sir Norman Lamont’s collection in UWIZM from 1947
(Fig. 150), labelled as Cosmosoma gemmata (Butler, 1875).
Kaye would not have seen this specimen and Lamont and
Callan (1950) did not include this name in their paper of
new records.
Taxonomic issues. This is not C. gemmata, and seems
closest to C. elegans (Butler, 1876). However, having
examined the type of C. elegans (NHMUK, ♂ Brazil,
Espiritu Santo) and NHMUK series, we conclude that this
Brazilian species is not the same as Lamont’s specimen.
Based purely on supercial habitus, Lamont’s specimen
may be a Xanthyda sp. (as may C. elegans), but we have
not found any comparable species of Xanthyda or indeed
Euchromiina with the rather distinctive bowed margin to
the dark apical area of the forewing, combined with the
dark notch at the end of veins 1 and 2, yellowish transparent
areas, thickened basal dorsum of forewing (and/or basal
costa of hindwing), even narrow hindwing margin, and
79
Fig. 150. Male ?Xanthyda sp., Palmiste, 16.v.1947, [N. Lamont]
[UWIZM].
metallic blue-green spots on head, thorax, abdomen and
base of dorsal forewings. It will be necessary to dissect this
specimen to try and establish its anities, and more material
and DNA barcodes will help to characterise it better.
Identication. See characters highlighted in last paragraph.
Biology in Trinidad. Nothing known.
Status in Trinidad. Just one 1947 record from Palmiste.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank the curators of the museums who have facilitated
our visits over the years to examine and photograph material
referred to in this study, including Lee and Jackie Miller
(Alleyn Museum, now incorportated into MGCL), Alan
Watson, Martin Honey, Geo Martin and Alberto Zilli
(NHMUK), Mark Shaw, Keith Bland, Ashleigh Whien
and Vladimir Blagoderov (NMS), George McGavin, and
James Hogan (OUMNH), Scott Miller, Marc Epstein and
Don Harvey (USNM), Gene Pollard, Chris Starr, Mike G.
Rutherford and Jenna Ramnarine (UWIZM) and Wolfram
May (MNB). In particular, Jose I. Martinez (MGCL), James
Hogan (OUMNH) and Vladimir Blagoderov (NMS) took
photographs of specimens at our request, some of which
are included here. We include some images of important
pinned specimens from NHMUK, and thank The Trustees
of the Natural History Museum, London, for allowing us
to do so under Creative Commons License 4.0 https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Images from other
museums (NMS, OUMNH, USNM, UWIZM) are also
included with permission.
We thank Kris Sookdeo, Tarran P. Maharaj, Steve Nanz,
and Graham White who kindly allowed us to use their
images of living Euchromiina from Trinidad & Tobago.
We thank the following who shared their images through
iNaturalist under a CC-BY-NC license: Glen Barrett,
bellbird20, bushmountaintt, Steven Daniel, Amy E. Deacon,
gtree, Davis Gunn, Tarran P. Maharaj, Sanjay Ramsaroop,
and Paul Sullivan. We also thank Nandani Bridglal, Rainer
Deo, Mark Gibson, and Sattvika Ragoonan for permission
to use their © images from iNaturalist.
The Barcode of Life Database (http://www.boldsystems.
org/) has been used to store and manage our DNA barcode
sequences, and the Biodiversity Heritage Library in
particular amongst online repositories has made it simple
to examine key taxonomic works, enabling us to provide
a more complete and comprehensive treatment. MJWC
also thanks CABI (www.cabi.org, donors - cabi.org) which
has provided him with logistic and laboratory support over
the years, including generating the DNA barcodes of some
Trinidad material by the CABI Bioscience group (Alan
Buddie, Giovanni Cafa and Yuen Ting Yeap).
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