Cillaeopsis Grouvelle, 1899: 127

Kirejtshuk, Alexander G. & Kovalev, Alexey V., 2022, Monograph on the Cillaeinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) from the Australian Region with comments on the taxonomy of the subfamily, Zootaxa 5103 (1), pp. 1-133 : 13

1. Cillaeopsis Grouvelle, 1899: 127 —Afrotropical Region (see Kirejtshuk 2001).

The Cillaeopsis was initially proposed as a separate genus with two species, “genre voisin des Orthogramma et Cillaeus ” which differs from these genera in the “abdomen supra quatuor segmentis ultimis expositis” ( Grouvelle 1899: 127: Cillaeopsis kraatzi Grouvelle, 1899 and C. nitidula Grouvelle, 1899 ). Among other things Cillaeopsis is characterised by the eyes located at the head base. However, the third species (Cilaeopsis maynei Grouvelle 1914c: 129) should be regarded in composition of the genus Paracilaeopsis stat. nov. ( Kirejtshuk 2001) because its eyes are located at distance from the head base and abdominal segment 4 is not completely exposed from under elytral apices (this species is known to the first author after the specimens from collections of SDEI and Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren ( Belgium)). Many characters of the initial members of Cilaeopsis mentioned in their original descriptions, except for convexity of body and comparatively shorter elytra, can fit to those in Cillaeopeplus . Moreover, the species similar to Hawaiian and Australian members of this genus are rather frequent among African cillaeines (see the below notes on distribution of Cillaeopeplus ). Taking into consideration of the body convexity and the reminiscence of Orthogramma indicated by the descriptor it can be supposed some similarity of Cilaeopsis with Xanthopeplus rather than with other described African cillaeines. Grouvelle (1899) indicated on the similarity of Cillaeopsis with Orthogramma and four last abdominal segments (probably completely) exposed from under elytral apices (some species of Ithyphenes have abdominal segment 4 completely uncovered by elytra, for example Ithyphenes rectifrons sp. nov.). Thus, the initial members of Cillaeopsis need to be examined to clarify their reasonable placement in the subfamily.