Cephennodes (Cephennodes) cavifrons, Jałoszyński, 2017

Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2017, Ant-like stone beetles on the roof of the world. Cephenniini of Nepal and Bhutan (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae), Zootaxa 4349 (1), pp. 1-120 : 14-15

Cephennodes (Cephennodes) cavifrons sp. n.

( Figs 19 , 21–23, 27–28 , 31 )

Type material. Holotype: NEPAL (Sankhuwasabha District): ♂, one label: " NEPAL, Sanhua Sabha Distr. / Arun Valley betw. Mure and Hurure / 2050–2150 m, 9.–17.VI.1988 / leg. J. Martens & W. Schawaller" [white, printed] ( SMNS). Paratypes (2 exx.): 2 ♂♂, "E. NEPAL: KOSI / Chichila s/Ahale / 2200 m, 4.IV.84 / Löbl & Smetana" [white, printed] ( MHNG).

Diagnosis. Head with deep circular frontal impression divided by median longitudinal carina, anterior end of carina with brush of setae, anterolateral margins of impression with setae directed anteromesally; setae on head unmodified.

Description. Body of male ( Fig. 19 ) dark brown, very stout, with shallow constriction between pronotum and elytra, strongly convex, covered with light brown setae; BL 1.43–1.46 mm (mean 1.45 mm).

Head ( Figs 21–23 ) subtrapezoidal, HL 0.20 mm, HW 0.33 mm; posterior portion of vertex convex, anterior portion of vertex and most of frons occupied by large and deep, nearly circular impression divided by narrow median longitudinal carina, lateral portions of frons just in front of impression and between weakly marked and small supraantennal tubercles elevated and sharply delimited from flat median area between them; eyes large, strongly convex, coarsely faceted. Punctures on posterior portion of vertex very small and shallow, separated by spaces 0.5–1 × as wide as diameters of punctures, median impression impunctate, punctures on area anterior and lateral to impression obscured by moderately long but dense suberect setae, setae on posterior portion of vertex distinctly shorter and sparser, suberect. Antennae very long and slender, only weakly thickened distally, AnL 0.90– 0.93 mm (mean 0.92 mm); with relatively loosely assembled antennomeres and indistinctly delimited pentamerous club which is longer than half AnL; antennomere I nearly twice as long as broad; II slightly narrower and shorter than I, 1.5 × as long as broad; III narrower than II, subquadrate; IV as broad as III but slightly longer, 1.2 × as long as broad; V–VI equal in length and width, each as broad as IV and distinctly longer, 1.6 × as long as broad; VII slightly broader than VI and much longer, 2.2 × as long as broad; VIII slightly broader than VII but much shorter, 1.2 × as long as broad; IX much longer and broader than VIII, 1.2 × as long as broad; X slightly larger than IX, 1.2 × as long as broad; XI only slightly broader than X, shorter than IX–X together.

Pronotum in dorsal view subtrapezoidal, broadest between middle and anterior third, PL 0.45–0.48 mm (mean 0.46 mm), PW 0.70 mm; anterior margin in strictly dorsal view short and slightly arcuate; lateral margins not serrate, strongly rounded in anterior third, very weakly constricted near posterior third and strongly convergent toward obtuse-angled hind corners; posterior margin shallowly bisinuate; lateral carinae narrow, fused with lateral margins; antebasal pits small but relatively deep and well-defined, each equally distant from posterior and lateral pronotal margins. Punctures on disc very small but deep and sharply marked, separated by spaces 1–2 as wide as diameters of punctures; setae long, moderately dense, suberect to erect.

Elytra very stout, oval, broadest near anterior third, EL 0.75–0.80 mm (mean 0.78 mm), EW 0.73–0.78 mm (mean 0.75 mm), EI 1.03–1.07. Humeral calli weakly elevated; subhumeral lines equal to about 0.4 EL, narrow and sharply marked, developed as sharp stepwise border between more convex humeral region and less convex adsutural area; basal pit on each elytron large and located in short, nearly round basal impression; apices of elytra separately rounded. Punctures similar to those on pronotum but slightly shallower; setae longer and more erect than those on pronotum.

Hind wings present, long.

Metaventrite with very large, indistinctly delimited postmesocoxal impressions, with median area covered with fine punctures.

Abdomen and legs unmodified.

Aedeagus ( Figs 27–28 ) in ventral view nearly symmetrical, AeL 0.25 mm, median lobe oval with subtriangular, rounded apex; apical projection in lateral view hook-like, strongly curved dorsally; parameres slender, slightly unequal in length, each with three long thin setae in apical and subapical region.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution ( Fig. 31 ). Eastern Nepal.

Etymology. The name refers to a deep excavation on the frontoclypeal region of the head in males.

Remarks. Variously developed impressions on the frons are known among species of Cephennodes , but a deep impression divided by a sharply marked longitudinal carina is unique for C. cavifrons .

Figures

FIGURE 31. Distribution of Cephennodes (s. str.) cavifrons sp. n. (circle) and C. (s. str.) pampinosus sp. n. (triangle).

FIGURES 19 – 20. Dorsal habitus of Cephennodes (s. str.) cavifrons sp. n. (19) and C. (s. str.) pampinosus sp. n. (20).

FIGURES 21 – 30. Head in anterior (21, 24), dorsolateral (22, 25) and dorsal (23, 26) views, aedeagus on ventral (27, 29) and lateral (28, 30) views. Cephennodes (s. str.) cavifrons sp. n. (21 – 23, 27 – 28) and C. (s. str.) pampinosus sp. n. (24 – 26, 29 – 30).