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

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

( Figs 155–160 View FIGURES 155–160 )

Type material. Holotype: CHINA (YUNNAN Prov.): ♂, two labels: “CHINA: Yunnan, Nujiang Lisu Pref., / Gaoligong Shan, “ Cloud pass”, / 21 km NW Liuku, 25º58’11’’N, / 98º41’01’’E, 3150 m, shrubs & / bamboo, litter sifted, 3.IX.2009, / leg. M. Schülke [ CH09-22 a]” [white, printed]; “ CEPHENNODES (s. str.) / nubis m. / P. Jałoszyński, 2025 / HOLOTYPUS ” [red, printed] ( MNB) GoogleMaps . Paratypes (4 exx.): 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, same data as for holotype GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, “CHINA: Yunnan, Nujiang Lisu Pref., / Gaoligong Shan, “Cloud pass”, / 21 km NW Liuku , 25º58’11’’N, / 98º41’01’’E, 3150 m, shrubs & / bamboo, litter sifted, 3.IX.2009, / leg. M. Schülke [ CH09-22 a]” [white, printed] GoogleMaps . Paratypes with yellow PARATYPUS labels (cPJ, MNB) .

Diagnosis. Body small, BL around 1.3 mm; antennae with indistinctly delimited trimerous clubs; punctures on clypeus virtually absent, on frontovertexal region very small but sharply marked and dense, separated by spaces subequal to their diameters, pronotum and elytra with fine, inconspicuous punctures; subhumeral lines as long as about 0.3 × EL. Male: abdomen ( Fig. 156 View FIGURES 155–160 ) with sternites IV and V modified, each with median transverse carina, that on sternite IV shorter and weakly projecting posterad, that on sternite V longer and more strongly projecting posterad; aedeagus ( Figs 157–160 View FIGURES 155–160 ) in ventral view with subtriangular capsular region of median lobe, its distal portion projecting into elongate subtriangular and apically rounded process, apical projection subtriangular, separated from distal region of capsular portion, with narrow subtriangular apex and distal margin oblique in relation to long axis of aedeagus at angle much larger than 45°.

Description. Body of male ( Fig. 155 View FIGURES 155–160 ) strongly convex, oval, with distinct constriction between pronotum and elytra, moderately dark brown with lighter tarsi, covered with light brown setae. BL 1.28–29 mm.

Head broadest across moderately large and moderately strongly convex, coarsely faceted eyes, HL 0.15 mm, HW 0.30 mm; frontovertexal region weakly convex at middle; supraantennal tubercles weakly elevated. Punctures on clypeus virtually absent, on frontovertexal region very small but sharply marked and dense, separated by spaces subequal to their diameters; setae sparse, short, suberect. Antennae moderately long and slender, with indistinctly delimited trimerous clubs, AnL 0.63–0.65 mm, antennomere 1 indistinctly elongate, 2 strongly elongate, 3 about as long as broad, 4–6 each weakly transverse, 7 about as long as broad, 8–10 each weakly transverse, 11 almost 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, broadest near middle and distinctly narrowing posterad; PL 0.38–0.40 mm, PW 0.60–0.63 mm. Anterior margin in strictly dorsal view nearly straight; lateral margins strongly rounded in anterior half and less strongly 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 posterior than lateral pronotal margin. Punctures on pronotal disc fine and inconspicuous; setae short and moderately dense, suberect.

Elytra slightly wider than pronotum, together oval, broadest near anterior third; EL 0.73–0.75 mm, EW 0.63– 0.65 mm, EI 1.13–1.16; subhumeral lines as long as about 0.3 × EL, developed as sharp borders between elevated humerus and lower mesal region, strongly 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 fine and inconspicuous; setae similar to those on pronotum.

Hind wings functional.

Metaventrite with lateral impressions as long as about 3/4 of its length.

Legs long and slender, unmodified.

Abdomen ( Fig. 156 View FIGURES 155–160 ) with sternite V bearing short transverse median carina slightly convex posteriorly in median region; sternite VI with much longer transverse carina in median region distinctly angulate and projecting posterad.

Aedeagus ( Figs 157–160 View FIGURES 155–160 ) of simonis form, AeL 0.15 mm; median lobe in ventral view with subtriangular capsular region, its distal portion projecting into elongate subtriangular and apically rounded process, apical projection subtriangular, separated from distal region of capsular portion, with narrow subtriangular apex and distal margin oblique in relation to long axis of aedeagus at angle much larger than 45°; parameres long and slender, both nearly reaching apex of aedeagus, each with one short apical seta.

Female. Externally similar to male but with unmodified abdomen, wingless. BL 1.30–1.33 mm; HL 0.15 mm, HW 0.30–0.33 mm, AnL 0.63 mm; PL 0.40–0.43 mm, PW 0.63–0.65 mm; EL 0.75 mm, EW 0.65 mm, EI 1.15.

Distribution. S China: Yunnan.

Etymology. The Latin noun nubis means a cloud and alludes to the Cloud Pass given on labels.

Remarks. A slight variability in the shape of the aedeagus was observed in the studied sample ( Figs 157–160 View FIGURES 155–160 ), but differences are small and external characters, including the modifications of sternites IV and V, are the same in all specimens.

Among Chinese species, C. nubis can be identified by a combination of the two modified sternites (as in C. simplicipes , but unlike C. alius ), and the apical plate separated from the capsular region of median lobe (as in C. alius , but unlike C. simplicipes ). Among those Himalayan species that share with C. nubis two modified abdominal sternites, all have different shapes of these modifications, and only C. bilobatus has a very similar aedeagus. The latter species, however, has the transverse carinae on sternites IV and V developed as broadly subtriangular lobes projecting posterad (especially that on sternite V), whereas carinae in C. nubis are weakly projecting posterad. Moreover, C. bilobatus is clearly smaller than C. nubis , with BL respectively 1.08 mm and 1.28–1.33 mm.