Morphometric analysis and taxonomic re-evaluation of Pepsis cerberus Lucas and P. elegans Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae: Pepsini)
Abstract
Hurd (1952) separated Pepsis cerberus Lucas from P. elegans Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae: Pepsini) based on external morphology and biogeography. Vardy (2005) synonymized the
familiar and historically well-documented P. cerberus and P. elegans, combining these Nearctic taxa with
several Neotropical variants in an extremely broad definition of P. menechma Lepeletier. In doing so, Vardy
(2005) breached the principle of nomenclatural stability. He ignored the prevailing usage and clearly violated
articles 23.2, 23.3 and 23.9.1.2 of the ICZN (1999). Morphological differences, ecological divergence, and
narrow sympatric geographic distribution of P. cerberus and P. elegans contradict Vardy (2005) and justify
full species status (Kurczewski 2023a). Furthermore, we propose the removal of the two species from the P.
menechma list of synonyms and recommend full species reinstatement as Pepsis cerberus, restored status
and Pepsis elegans, restored status. Pepsis menechma becomes a senior synonym of P. elegans. Morphometric
re-examination and statistical analysis of P. cerberus and P. elegans structural features strongly support their
reinstatement. Quantitative measurement of 10 parasitoid-related morphological characteristics of the females revealed the two species differ significantly in frons width/head width, head length/head width, vertex
length/head width, vertex length/head length, flagellomere 1 length/flagellomere 1 width, forewing length/
mesosoma width, and hind tibial inner spur length/hind basitarsus length. Pepsis cerberus and P. elegans
females are structurally and statistically similar in gena-postgena corner radius, fore femur width/mesosoma
width, and number of hind tibial serrations.
Insecta Mundi 2024(1052): May 31, 2024 (1-12)
Morphometric analysis and taxonomic re-evaluation of Pepsis cerberus Lucas and P. elegans Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae: Pepsini).
Frank E. Kurczewski, Akira Shimizu, and Diane H. Kiernan
