Cephalophanus epilachnoides, Yoshitomi & Hájek, 2025

Cephalophanus epilachnoides sp. nov.

( Figs 1A–C View Fig , 2 View Fig )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♁ ( NMPC), labelled: ‘ INDIA: KERALA 6-18. XII. 1993 / Cardamon hills, Vattiar vill. / 10km SW of Munnar / 10°02′N, 77°01′E, 1000m / D.Boukal & Z.Kejval leg. [p] // HOLOTYPE ♁ / CEPHALOPHANUS / epilachnoides sp. nov. / Yoshitomi & Hájek det. 2025 [red label, p]’. PARATYPES: 3 ♁♁ 3♀♀ and 20 unsexed specimens, same data as holotype ( EUMJ, NMPC). All paratypes are provided with the respective yellow printed labels.

Additional material studied (based on photos available on the iNaturalist platform). INDIA: KARNATAKA: Yevakapadi, 12.22308, 75.64952, 21.vii.2024, S. Saya observ. ( SAYA 2024). TAMIL NADU: Valparai, 10.31221, 76.95105, 21.x.2024, B. Gower observ. ( GOWER 2024).

Description. Male holotype. Body hemispherical, sub-matt, densely covered with easily removable short recumbent setae.

Colouration. Head, legs, scutellar shield and ventral surface of thorax and abdomen pale brown; antennae, pronotum and elytra brown but antennomeres I–II and marginal part of pronotum paler. Each elytron with four large ocellate maculae and seven small oval marginal spots; ocellate maculae consisting of black circle spots with pale brown rim, variable in size; marginal spots pale brown, spot at anterior margin of elytra connected with anterior ocellate macula.

Structures. Head finely punctate. Antennae slender, reaching posterior margin of pronotum. Pronotum closely covered with fine punctures. Elytra widest at mid-length, highest just anterior from mid-length. Legs slender, with straight tibiae.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus relatively wide; tegminal strut long and thick, curved dorsally; tegmen long, slightly curved dorsally, narrowed in basal third; parameres long and wide, bearing short setae on ventral surface, obtuse at apices, bearing long setae along apical margins; phallus long, curved ventrally, truncate at apex; apical lobe distinctly longer than phallus, truncate at apex.

Female. In habitus identical to male; pretarsal claws on front legs simple.

Variability. Specimens of the type series vary in elytral colouration: background colouration is dark brown, light rim of ocellate maculae is thin but median maculae are connected in the holotype; on the other hand, background colouration of most paratypes is rather light brown, rim of ocellate maculation is wider, and median maculae may be separated (see Figs 1A and 1C View Fig ).

Measurements (n = 20). TL 3.35–3.95 (3.74) mm; PL 0.90–1.10 (1.02) mm; PW 1.90–2.20 (2.09) mm; PW/ PL 1.90–2.30 (2.05); EL 2.40–2.85 (2.72) mm; EW 2.90–3.45 (3.21) mm. EL/EW 0.79–0.90 (0.85); EL/ PL 2.36–2.89 (2.67); EW/PW 1.45–1.63 (1.54); TL/EW 1.10–1.23 (1.17).

Differential diagnosis. Cephalophanus epilachnoides sp. nov. is easily distinguishable from all other members of the genus by the ocellate maculation on the elytra ( Figs 1A–C View Fig ). The male genitalia of the new species are also very characteristic, having truncate apices of the phallus and its apical lobe, and obtuse apices of the parameres ( Fig. 2 View Fig ).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the characteristic elytral pattern strongly resembling that of Epilachnini ladybird beetles ( Coccinellidae ), especially Epilachna ocellataemaculata from China and Vietnam (see Fig. 1D View Fig , and PANG et al. 2012: Fig. 16).

Collecting circumstances. Specimens of the type series were beaten from dead wood (Z. Kejval, pers. comm.).

Distribution. Cephalophanus epilachnoides sp. nov. seems to be relatively widespread in the Western Ghats of southwestern India; in addition to the type locality in Kerala, there are recent records on the iNaturalist platform from Karnataka ( SAYA 2024) and Tamil Nadu ( GOWER 2024), which, based on the characteristic colour pattern, can be assigned to the new species as well.