Pseudoclanis grandidieri subsp. kenyae Carcasson, 1968 [Invalid]

Carcasson, 1968, Jl E. Afr. nat. Hist. Soc. natn. Mus. 26 (3): 26, misidentified this taxon and synonymized it with Pseudoclanis postica postica. This misidentification was implicitly raised to species status by Pierre, 1992, Bull. Soc. ent. Fr. 97: 284. Subsequently treated as a synonym of Pseudoclanis postica postica by Bridges, 1993, Cat. Fam. Gen. Spec. Sphingidae of the World: VIII.21, and then reinstated as a species by Kitching & Cadiou, 2000, Hawkmoths of the world: 64. The misidentification was synonymized with Pseudoclanis postica by Kitching and Rougerie et al., 2018, Biodivers. Data J. 6: e22236. Eitschberger (2007) differentiated his concept of Pseudoclanis “kenyae” from his other species concepts in the Pseudoclanis postica-group based on the brown (not black) subterminal costal spot on the forewing upperside and the longer, slimmer, more pointed harpe. However, these features occur elsewhere within the range of Pseudoclanis postica. In addition, many Pseudoclanis “kenyae” sequences are nested within a large cluster that also includes Pseudoclanis postica, Pseudoclanis abyssinicus, Pseudoclanis aequabilis and Pseudoclanis evestigata in BoLD (9.ix.2008). All are widely scattered throughout the cluster. Consequently, I consider that there is no justification for maintaining Pseudoclanis kenyae sensu Eitschberger as a species separate from Pseudoclanis postica.