Cephennodes excavatus, Jaloszynski, 2007

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 : 17-18

Cephennodes excavatus species group

This group was proposed by Jałoszyński (2007a) and further characterized in Jałoszyński (2007b). Species belonging here share the aedeagus that represents a variant of the latus form, with large and broad median lobe, which is approximately oval in shape, its diaphragm is relatively large, oblique in relation to the long axis of the median lobe and exposed (i.e., not concealed by the projected ventral wall of the median lobe), the apical projection and accompanying distal sclerites are generally subtriangular in shape, and the base of parameres forms a collar surrounding the basal foramen. The body is elongate and relatively slender, often with the head and pronotum darker than elytra. In most species males have various secondary sexual characters, in some cases multiple: lateral elytral impressions covered with short setae; apical elytral flattening or impression; enlarged or otherwise modified antennomeres, tooth on protibiae, projection on protarsomere V, curved metatibiae; or median mucro on the last visible abdominal sternite. All newly described Himalayan species have modified protibiae in males, or at least covered with modified setae, only one species has modified elytral apices, and two have unusually modified antennae. Additionally, all species in this group have relatively smoothly punctate pronotum and elytra, with small, not coarse punctures.

This group comprises 13 species known to occur in the People's Republic of China and 12 newly described Himalayan taxa, of which 11 occur in Nepal and one in Bhutan. Most Himalayan species form a distinct subgroup characterized by a large patch of spatulate setae occupying most of the mesal (inner) surface of protibiae, which are at least slightly, and in some cases monstrously broadened dorso-ventrally, the broadening increases the surface of the setal patch. Interestingly, the setal patch can also be found in females, but it is smaller and the protibiae are not thickened. Members of this species group known to occur outside the Himalayas do not have such a modification.