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

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

( Figs 161–164 View FIGURES 161–164 )

Type material. Holotype: CHINA (YUNNAN Prov.): ♂, two labels: “CHINA: Yunnan [ CH07-03 ], / Dali Bai Auton. Pref., Diancang Shan W/ Dali, 25º41’49’’N, 100º06’24’’E, / 2970 m, sifted at rock edges and under / small shrubs, 28.V.2007, / M. Schülke ” [white, printed]; “ CEPHENNODES (s. str.) / posterotibialis m. / P. Jałoszyński, 2025 / HOLOTYPUS ” [red, printed] ( MNB) GoogleMaps . Paratype: 1 ♀, same data as for holotype, with yellow GoogleMaps PARATYPUS label (cPJ).

Diagnosis. Body small, BL around 1.3 mm; antennae gradually thickened; 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 0.2 × EL. Male: abdomen ( Fig. 162 View FIGURES 161–164 ) with sternite V modified, bearing median subtriangular transverse carina; metatibia ( Fig. 161 View FIGURES 161–164 ) strongly thickened in subapical region; aedeagus ( Figs 163–164 View FIGURES 161–164 ) in ventral view broadest in sub-basal region, apex of capsular region of median lobe subtriangular, distally rounded, apical projection strongly recurved, with narrowly rounded apex situated far from long axis of aedeagus and close to apex of capsular region of median lobe.

Description. Body of male ( Fig. 161 View FIGURES 161–164 ) strongly convex, oval, with distinct constriction between pronotum and elytra, moderately dark brown with lighter tarsi, covered with light brown setae. BL 1.30 mm.

Head broadest across moderately large and moderately strongly convex, coarsely faceted eyes, HL 0.18 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, gradually thickened, AnL 0.73 mm, antennomere 1 indistinctly elongate, 2 strongly elongate, 3–8 each weakly elongate, 9–10 each weakly transverse, 11 as long as 9 and 10 combined, about 1.8 × 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 mm, PW 0.60 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 slightly 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 0.75 mm, EW 0.63 mm, EI 1.20; subhumeral lines as long as about 0.2 × 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 half of its length.

Legs long and slender, metatibiae with wide subtriangular outer lateral subapical expansion ( Fig. 161 View FIGURES 161–164 ).

Abdomen ( Fig. 162 View FIGURES 161–164 ) with sternite V bearing short transverse subtriangular median carina.

Aedeagus ( Figs 163–164 View FIGURES 161–164 ) of simonis form, AeL 0.15 mm; median lobe in ventral view broadest in sub-basal region, apex of capsular region of median lobe subtriangular, distally rounded, apical projection strongly recurved, with narrowly rounded apex situated far from long axis of aedeagus and close to apex of capsular region of median lobe; parameres long and slender, both nearly reaching apex of aedeagus, each with one short apical and one short subapical seta.

Female. Externally similar to male but with unmodified metatibiae and abdomen, wings not studied. BL 1.30 mm; HL 0.18 mm, HW 0.30 mm, AnL 0.68 mm; PL 0.38 mm, PW 0.60 mm; EL 0.75 mm, EW 0.63 mm, EI 1.20.

Distribution. S China: Yunnan.

Etymology. The adjective posterotibialis refers to the modified hind tibiae.

Remarks. Among Chinese species, C. posterotibialis can be identified by a combination of the following characters: in ventral view aedeagus broadest in sub-basal region, and apex of capsular region of median lobe subtriangular; apical projection strongly recurved, with narrowly rounded apex situated far from long axis of aedeagus and close to apex of capsular region of median lobe.Among the Himalayan species, C. dolakhanus , C. manangensis , C. monolaminatus , and C. thakanus have a modified sternite V and unmodified IV, as in C. posterotibialis . All these four species have clearly different shapes of the apical plates of the median lobe.