Cephennodes (s. str.) molestus, Jałoszyński, 2025

Cephennodes (s. str.) molestus sp. nov.

( Figs 142–144 View FIGURES 142–150 )

Type material. Holotype: CHINA (YUNNAN Prov.): ♂, two labels: “CHINA: Yunnan, Wuding, Lion / Mountain Scenic Area , 2200 m, / 25º31’59’’N, 102º22’36’’E, stream / valley with deciduous forest, moist / litter sifted 17.VIII.2014, / leg. M. Schülke [ CH14-11 ]” [white, printed]; “ CEPHENNODES (s. str.) / molestus m. / P. Jałoszyński, 2025 / HOLOTYPUS ” [red, printed] ( MNB) GoogleMaps . Paratypes (5 exx.): 1 ♂, same data as for holotype GoogleMaps ; 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, “CHINA: Yunnan, Mt. W Xundian, / 25º34’58’’N, 103º08’42’’E, 2300 m, / mixed forest with alder, pine, / shrubs, litter, twigs, roots sifted, / 16.VIII.2014, Schülke [ CH14-09 b]” [white, printed] GoogleMaps . Paratypes with yellow PARATYPUS labels (cPJ, MNB) .

Diagnosis. Body very small, BL around 1.1–1.2 mm; antennae gradually thickened; punctures on head and pronotum small but sharply marked and distinct, separated by spaces subequal to their diameters, punctures on elytra superficial; subhumeral lines as long as 0.35 × EL. Male: lacking secondary sexual characters; aedeagus ( Figs 143–144 View FIGURES 142–150 ) in ventral view with drop-shaped capsular region of median lobe, its distal portion projecting into broad subrectangular truncate process, apical projections much wider than long and curved towards apex of capsular region.

Description. Body of male ( Fig. 142 View FIGURES 142–150 ) moderately strongly convex, oval, with shallow but distinct constriction between pronotum and elytra, moderately light brown with lighter tarsi, covered with light brown setae. BL 1.08– 1.18 mm.

Head broadest across moderately large and moderately strongly convex, coarsely faceted eyes, HL 0.15 mm, HW 0.28 mm; frontovertexal region weakly convex at middle; supraantennal tubercles weakly elevated. Punctures on clypeus and frontovertexal region small but distinct, separated by spaces subequal to their diameters; setae sparse, short, suberect. Antennae moderately long and slender, gradually and moderately strongly thickened, AnL 0.50–0.58 mm, antennomere 1 about as long as broad, 2 strongly elongate, 3–6 each about as long as broad, 7 slightly elongate, 8–10 each weakly transverse, 11 about as long as 9 and 10 combined, about 1.7 × as long as broad.

Pronotum semi-oval, strongly convex at middle and flattened near hind corners, equally broad between base and middle; PL 0.30–0.35 mm, PW 0.48–0.50 mm. Anterior margin in strictly dorsal view nearly straight; lateral margins strongly rounded in anterior half and straight posteriorly, finely microserrate, posterior corners nearly right-angled; posterior margin shallowly bisinuate; lateral marginal carinae simple (i.e., not doubled); lateral antebasal pits shallow but distinct, each distinctly closer to lateral than posterior pronotal margin. Punctures on pronotal disc small but distinct, separated by spaces subequal to their diameters; setae short and moderately dense, suberect.

Elytra as wide as pronotum, together oval, broadest near anterior third; EL 0.60–0.68 mm, EW 0.50–0.56 mm, EI 1.12–1.25; subhumeral lines as long as 0.35 × EL, developed as sharp borders between elevated humerus and lower mesal region, weakly divergent posterad; basal elytral fovea on each elytron situated slightly closer to lateral margin of mesoscutellum than to subhumeral line; elytral apices separately rounded. Punctures on elytra superficial and inconspicuous; setae similar to those on pronotum.

Hind wings functional.

Metaventrite with sharply marked lateral impressions as long as about half its length.

Legs long and slender, unmodified.

Aedeagus ( Figs 143–144 View FIGURES 142–150 ) of simonis form, AeL 0.10 mm; capsular region of median lobe in ventral view drop-shaped, its distal portion projecting into broad subrectangular truncate process with weakly concave distal margin, apical projections much wider than long and curved towards apex of capsular region; parameres long and relatively thick, not reaching apex of aedeagus, each with one moderately long apical seta.

Female. Externally indistinguishable from male; wings not studied. BL 1.13 mm; HL 0.15 mm, HW 0.28 mm, AnL 0.53 mm; PL 0.35 mm, PW 0.50 mm; EL 0.63 mm, EW 0.55 mm, EI 1.14.

Distribution. S China: Yunnan.

Etymology. The Latin adjective molestus means troublesome; this species is difficult to identify based on external characters.

Remarks. Besides C. molestus , only one species of the C. simonis group has the apical region of the capsular portion of the median lobe truncate, forming a subrectangular apical process. This is the Bornean C. simonis . In C. molestus , the lateral pronotal carinae are simple, i.e., developed as slightly thickened margins mesally accentuated by a step-wise difference in elevated margin and a lower discal surface. In C. simonis , the lateral pronotal carinae are doubled, i.e., in addition to a similarly developed margin, there is a sublateral carina running parallel and close to the margin. The shape of the aedeagus is also clearly different in these species, especially the apical plate, which in C. simonis is strongly curved and pointed in both ventral and lateral views (illustrated in Jałoszyński (2007a): figs. 3–4).