Cephennodes (s. str.) baculifer Jałoszyński, 2007b

Cephennodes (s. str.) baculifer Jałoszyński, 2007b View in CoL [ China: Sichuan]

Cephennodes (s. str.) bagmatianus Jałoszyński, 2017a View in CoL [ Nepal]

Cephennodes (s. str.) bicolor Jałoszyński, 2007a View in CoL [ China: Yunnan]

Cephennodes (s. str.) caudatus Jałoszyński, 2007b View in CoL [ China: Shaanxi]

Cephennodes (s. str.) churtanus Jałoszyński, 2017a View in CoL [ Nepal]

Cephennodes (s. str.) clavodentatus Jałoszyński, 2017a View in CoL [ Nepal]

Cephennodes (s. str.) cryptointricatus Jałoszyński, 2015c View in CoL [ China: Gansu]

Cephennodes (s. str.) excavatus Jałoszyński, 2007a View in CoL [ China: Yunnan]

Cephennodes (s. str.) hamatus Jałoszyński, 2007a View in CoL [ China: Yunnan]

Cephennodes (s. str.) inflaticornis Jałoszyński, 2017a View in CoL [ Nepal]

Cephennodes (s. str.) intricatus Jałoszyński, 2015c View in CoL [ China: Gansu]

Cephennodes (s. str.) karnaliensis Jałoszyński, 2017a View in CoL [ Nepal]

Cephennodes (s. str.) meredaranus Jałoszyński, 2017a View in CoL [ Nepal]

Cephennodes (s. str.) nigricollis Jałoszyński, 2007b View in CoL [ China: Sichuan]

Cephennodes (s. str.) popeye Jałoszyński, 2017a View in CoL [ Bhutan]

Cephennodes (s. str.) scolytoides Jałoszyński, 2007b View in CoL [ China: Sichuan]

Cephennodes (s. str.) sermathangensis Jałoszyński, 2017a View in CoL [ Nepal]

Cephennodes (s. str.) spinosus Jałoszyński, 2007a View in CoL [ China: Yunnan]

Cephennodes (s. str.) subcaudatus Jałoszyński, 2007b View in CoL [ China: Shaanxi]

Cephennodes (s. str.) superlatus Jałoszyński, 2007a View in CoL [ China: Yunnan]

Cephennodes (s. str.) suturalis Jałoszyński, 2017a View in CoL [ Nepal]

Cephennodes (s. str.) tipulipes Jałoszyński, 2017a View in CoL [ Nepal]

Cephennodes (s. str.) uenoi Jałoszyński, 2007b View in CoL [ China: Sichuan]

Cephennodes (s. str.) yangrianus Jałoszyński, 2017a View in CoL [ Nepal]

Cephennodes (s. str.) yeti Jałoszyński, 2017a View in CoL [ Nepal]

Five new species are described below. Species of the C. excavatus View in CoL group are difficult to identify, mainly because the aedeagi are poorly differentiated, but also because the endophallic structures are prone to eversion much more than in any other Cephenniini View in CoL . This apparently happens when the beetles are killed, because in many studied dry-mounted specimens the flagellum and the anchoring sclerite are already everted to a various extent. The median lobe in the everted state is not distorted (as it happens frequently in many Stenichnini; see discussion in Jałoszyński (2022a), and the morphology of the Scydmaeninae View in CoL aedeagus in Jałoszyński (2025a)). This makes it possible to examine the shape and apical structures of the median lobe, crucial for identification. However, in the C. excavatus View in CoL group, as demonstrated in the present study, the distal region of the aedeagus shows some intraspecific variability, and also the flexible distal plates are prone to distortion and take different shapes when the aedeagus is even very slightly rotated in the mounting medium. An additional issue is that fully pigmented specimens have often dark heads and pronota (in some cases almost black), and much lighter, usually reddish-brown elytra, in some species with infuscate elytral suture, but some other species are uniformly reddish-brown or brown. Teneral or not fully pigmented specimens of the first group can be confused with the uniformly pigmented species. As demonstrated here by newly found specimens of C. bicolor View in CoL , the pigmentation can be variable within species and this character can be problematic. The main diagnostic characters are: male modifications of antennae, legs, elytra or abdomen; body length and proportions of body parts; apical structures of parameres; and, to a lesser extent, shape of apical projections of the median lobe, in ventral and (for the dorsal distal plate) also in lateral views.All external characters of males must be carefully compared in all studied specimens to make sure that they belong to the same species; females can be identified usually only by association with males collected together.

Key to males of Cephennodes excavatus View in CoL species group of China

1 Protibiae with distinct mesal submedian broadening.......................................................... 2

- Protibiae lacking mesal submedian broadening.............................................................. 3

2 Elytral apex lacking oval impression; antennomere 7 distinctly broader than 8; last exposed abdominal sternite with posteromedian mucro; protarsomere 5 lacking hook-like ventral process....................... C. spinosus Jałoszyński View in CoL

- Elytral apex with oval impression; antennomere 7 narrower than 8 or both antennomeres subequal in width; last exposed abdominal sternite lacking posteromedian mucro; protarsomere 5 with minute hook-like ventral process................................................................................................. C. hamatus Jałoszyński View in CoL

3 Protarsus with conspicuously modified claws, one strongly enlarged, more than 3 times as long as and much thicker than the other one, about as long as tarsomere 5; tarsomere 4 in lateral view with massive ventral subtriangular projection.......................................................................................... C. deinonychus sp. nov.

- Protarsus with unmodified claws, both minute and of equal lengths, much shorter than tarsomere 5; tarsomere 4 unmodified.. ................................................................................................... 4

4 Hind tibiae distinctly curved inwards...................................................................... 5

- Hind tibiae not curved inwards........................................................................... 6

5 Antennomere 7 conspicuously enlarged, wider than 8 and strongly elongate; elytra strongly modified, in posterior half each elytron with flattened lateral area covered with setae different than those in anterior half, and elytral apex deeply impressed and complex in shape................................................................ C. superlatus Jałoszyński View in CoL

- Antennomere 7 not enlarged, not wider than 8 and about as long as broad; only elytral apices modified, each with small oval impression.......................................................................... C. curvitibia sp. nov.

6 Elytra unmodified..................................................................................... 7

- Elytra modified, with apical or subapical impressions or projections, and/or with lateral flattened areas covered with different setae............................................................................................... 9

7 Antennomere 11 less than twice as long as wide; apex of one paramere strongly modified, in lateral view with subapical denticles and large subtriangular subapical projection............................................ C. rufus sp. nov.

- Antennomere 11 at least twice as long as wide; parameral apices unmodified...................................... 8

8 Antennomere 6 straight; each paramere with two apical setae; apical dorsal projection of aedeagus conspicuously slender and strongly projecting distally; in ventral view, distal region of basal capsule deeply divided by narrow median indentation into a pair of strongly elongate subtriangular lateral lobes........................................ C. xueshanus sp. nov.

- Antennomere 6 slightly curved, so that antennae are slightly kinked; each paramere with one apical and one subapical seta; apical dorsal projection of aedeagus stout and weakly projecting distally; in ventral view, distal region of basal capsule shallowly divided by broad median emargination into a pair of short (not elongate) subtriangular lateral lobes.. C. bicolor Jałoszyński View in CoL

9 In dorsal view, elytral apices broadly truncate.............................................................. 10

- In dorsal view, elytral apices convex, more or less rounded................................................... 11

10 Antennal clubs conspicuously slender; antennomere 7 about 1.5 times as long as broad; antennomere 8 distinctly shorter than 7; in ventral view, apical region of aedeagus distad basal capsule distinctly elongate........... C. scolytoides Jałoszyński View in CoL

- Antennal clubs strongly thickened; antennomere 7 about as long as broad; antennomeres 7 and 8 subequal in length; in ventral view, apical region of aedeagus distad basal capsule about as long as broad.................... C. baculifer Jałoszyński View in CoL

11 Apex of each elytron with various tubercles and /or flattened areas and modified setae, but lacking well-defined oval impression.......................................................................................... 12

- Apex of each elytron with oval impression (in some cases in addition to tubercles and modified setae)................. 13

12 In dorsal view, apex of each elytron with sharply delimited subtriangular projection with acute posterior angle............................................................................................ C. caudatus Jałoszyński View in CoL

- In dorsal view, apex of each elytron with sharply delimited projection, its posterior margin rounded.................................................................................................. C. subcaudatus Jałoszyński View in CoL

13 Apex of each elytron only with asetose oval impression, in some cases surrounded by variously modified setae.......... 14

- Apex of each elytron, in addition to asetose oval impression also with tubercles or flattened areas..................... 15

14 Apical oval asetose impression on each elytron distinctly longer than wide.................... C. excavatus Jałoszyński View in CoL

- Apical oval asetose impression circular or weakly transverse.................................... C. cavatus sp. nov.

15 Apex of each elytron with thick setal brush curved mesally, situated laterad asetose impression; body uniformly dark brown.. .................................................................................................. 16

- Apex of each elytron lacking setal brush, at most with several long setae not grouped together; head and pronotum darker than elytra.............................................................................................. 17

16 Antennomeres 9 and 10 each about as long as broad; dorsal distal projection of aedeagus in lateral view weakly curved, its apex directed distad and only slightly dorsad................................................ C. intricatus Jałoszyński View in CoL

- Antennomeres 9 and 10 each distinctly elongate; dorsal distal projection of aedeagus in lateral view strongly curved, hook-like, its apex directed dorsad....................................................... C. cryptointricatus Jałoszyński View in CoL

17 Each elytron with elongate setal patch along lateral margin composed of setae directed posteriorly and toward midline of patch; subapical oval asetose impression on each elytron posteriorly accompanied by subtriangular flat expansion with carinate anterior margin...................................................................... C. uenoi Jałoszyński View in CoL

- Elytra lacking areas of peculiar setation along lateral margins; subapical oval asetose impression on each elytron posteriorly accompanied by broad subtriangular and sharply delimited flattened apical region.............. C. nigricollis Jałoszyński View in CoL