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

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

( Figs 169–174 View FIGURES 169–174 )

Type material. Holotype: CHINA (YUNNAN Prov.): ♂,two labels:“CHINA[13]-Yunnan,/mt.SE Gejiu,graveyard / with pine, 23º18’27’’N, / 103º11’41’’E, 2400 m, / 20.VIII.2014, V. Assing” [white, printed]; “ CEPHENNODES (s. str.) / frontorhinus m. / P. Jałoszyński, 2025 / HOLOTYPUS ” [red, printed] ( MNHW) GoogleMaps . Paratype: 1 ♀, same data as for holotype, and with yellow “ PARATYPUS ” label (cPJ) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Body large, BL around 1.6–1.7 mm; antennae gradually thickened; punctures on clypeus, pronotum and elytra small but sharply marked and dense, separated by spaces subequal to their diameters, those on elytra slightly larger than on pronotum, head posterior to frontal ‘horn’ virtually impunctate; subhumeral lines short, as long as 0.3 × EL. Male: head modified ( Figs 170–172 View FIGURES 169–174 ), with subtriangular median anterior projection (‘horn’), its anterior margins at each side of apex nearly straight, large median area posterior to ‘horn’ asetose except for long median longitudinal line composed of minute densely set setiferous punctures, this median area is flanked by densely setose lateral regions with long erect setae directed anterad ( Figs 171, 172 View FIGURES 169–174 ); aedeagus ( Figs 173–174 View FIGURES 169–174 ) strongly elongate, in ventral view with distal margin of capsular region forming abruptly narrowed elongate sharp-angled subtriangular projection.

Description. Body of male ( Fig. 169 View FIGURES 169–174 ) strongly convex, oval, with barely discernible constriction between pronotum and elytra, dark brown with slightly lighter tarsi, covered with light brown setae. BL 1.66 mm.

Head ( Figs 170–172 View FIGURES 169–174 ) broadest across moderately large and moderately strongly convex, coarsely faceted eyes, HL 0.26 mm, HW 0.43 mm; frontovertexal region modified, with subtriangular median anterior projection, its anterior margins at each side of apex nearly straight, large median area posterior to projection asetose except for long median longitudinal line composed of minute densely set setiferous punctures, this median area is flanked by densely setose lateral regions with long erect setae directed anterad, so that pair of thickened vertexal setae is obscured by long setae. Punctures on clypeus small but sharply marked, separated by spaces subequal to their diameters, frontovertexal region posterior to subtriangular projection virtually impunctate. Antennae long and slender, gradually thickened, AnL 1.00 mm, antennomere 1 about as long as broad, 2 distinctly elongate, 3 about as long as broad, 4–7 each weakly elongate, 8 about as long as broad, 9 and 10 each indistinctly elongate, 11 as long as 9 and 10 combined, about twice as long as broad.

Pronotum semi-oval, strongly convex at middle and flattened near hind corners, broadest slightly behind middle but indistinctly narrowing posterad; PL 0.53 mm, PW 0.78 mm. Anterior margin in strictly dorsal view nearly straight; lateral margins strongly rounded in anterior half and feebly so 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 located much closer to posterior than to lateral pronotal margin. Punctures on median region of pronotal disc small but sharply marked, separated by spaces subequal to their diameters, punctures near posterior angles distinctly denser and somewhat coarse. Setae on pronotal disc long and moderately dense, suberect.

Elytra as wide as pronotum, together oval, broadest near anterior third; EL 0.88 mm, EW 0.78 mm, EI 1.13; subhumeral lines developed as sharp borders between elevated humerus and lower mesal region, as long as 0.3 × EL and distinctly divergent posterad; basal elytral fovea on each elytron about equidistant from lateral margin of mesoscutellum and subhumeral line; elytral apices separately rounded. Punctures on elytra slightly larger than those on pronotum and similarly dense; setae slightly longer than those on pronotum, dense and suberect.

Hind wings reduced, about as long as elytra and narrow.

Metaventrite with diffuse lateral impressions about as long as 1/3 of its length.

Legs long and slender, unmodified.

Aedeagus ( Figs 173–174 View FIGURES 169–174 ) of modified simonis form, AeL 0.40 mm; in ventral view with distal margin of capsular region forming abruptly narrowed elongate sharp-angled subtriangular projection; apical projections about as long as broad, subtriangular; parameres long and slender, not reaching apex of aedeagus, each with one long apical and two similarly long subapical setae.

Female. Externally similar to male, except for unmodified head and slightly shorter antennae in relation to BL; wings not studied; BL 1.70 mm; HL 0.25 mm, HW 0.43 mm, AnL 0.88 mm; PL 0.55 mm, PW 0.80 mm; EL 0.90 mm, EW 0.80 mm, EI 1.13.

Distribution. S China: Yunnan.

Etymology. The adjective frontorhinus refers to the frontal ‘horn’ on the head in males.

Remarks. Among Chinese species of the C. taurus group, C. frontorhinus is unique in having the following combination of characters: the frontal region of head in dorsal view with an anteromedian subtriangular convexity projecting anterad; lateral margins of this convexity nearly straight; and the apex of the capsular region of median lobe subtriangular, sharp-angled and strongly projecting. This species is most similar to C. unicornis described below. In addition to a different shape of the frontal subtriangular projection (with its lateral margins nearly straight in C. frontorhinus , and sinuate in C. unicornis ), the apex of the capsular region of the median lobe in ventral view in C. frontorhinus is forming an abruptly narrowing elongate subtriangular sharp-angled projection, whereas in C. unicornis the apex is obtuse-angled and not delimited from lateral and distal margins. See also Remarks for C. unicornis . The same combination of characters differentiates C. frontorhinus from its Vietnamese congeners.

Unfortunately, C. akane (Taiwan), C. maya (Taiwan), and C. yume ( Japan: Okinawa Is.), all described by Hideto Hoshina, cannot be identified based on the original descriptions and illustrations. However, even accounting for some inaccuracy of Hoshina’s drawings, the aedeagi of C. frontorhinus and C. unicornis are not similar enough to those of C. akane , C. maya or C. yume to pose a risk of conspecificity.