A new species of the Cephennodes taurus group in Yaeyama Islands, Japan (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)

Cephennodes (s. str.) pseudoakane sp. nov. is described, based on specimens collected in Ishigaki-jima and Iriomote-jima islands (Yaeyama Islands of the Ryukyus), Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The new species belongs to the C. taurus group, so far represented by 14 species distributed in Japan, China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Three species of this group occur in the close vicinity of C. pseudoakane—C. akane Hoshina, 2020 (Taiwan), C. maya Hoshina, 2021 (Taiwan), and C. yume Hoshina, 2017 (Okinawa Island). Characters of these four highly similar species are illustrated and compared, including unique modifications of the frontal region in males. Key to males of all species belonging to the C. taurus group is given.