Cephennodes simplicipes Jaloszynski 2007

Cephennodes simplicipes species group

The previously defined Cephennodes inflatipes species group included forms with modified, spatulate metatibiae in males, the aedeagus of simonis form and very small in relation to the abdomen. Some of species included in this group were unique in having also abdominal sternites in males modified. One species, not placed in any group, C. simplicipes Jałoszyński, 2007b (China), is very similar to those placed in the inflatipes group, but its metatibiae are unmodified, whereas the abdomen is modified. Many similar species were found in Nepal, and three morphological variants of male secondary sexual modifications are very useful in identifying species that share a very similar aedeagal structures: i) the metatibiae spatulate and abdomen modified (C. spatulipes group); ii) the metatibiae spatulate and abdomen unmodified (C. inflatipes group); iii) metatibiae unmodified and abdomen modified (C. simplicipes group).

The latter variant is here described as the Cephennodes simplicipes species group, comprising species that share a small aedeagus of the simonis form, with a large apical projection, its apex directed toward the apex of the median lobe, the ventral wall of median lobe lacking setae; metatibiae in males unmodified; abdomen in males with carinae and/or projections on some sternites. This group includes C. simplicipes and 16 new species discovered in Nepal, described below.