After the initial descriptions...

The initial descriptions are finished. The five new species already have suitable Latin names. I tend to assign these as soon as possible, and typically in reference to striking external characteristics. The descriptions are done with the help of a spreadsheet that has a predefined list of anatomical areas and viewing perspectives in the left-most column: size, shape (dorsal/lateral), color...mouthparts (mandible, maxillae,...), etc. This is my template and helps me look at many relevant structures. After completing the template for C. globulicollis (male & female), I took the initial description as the "default" for looking at the next species, and then only described the specific differences. The complete spreadsheet therefore has one species to the left where all rows have words, whereas those to the right have select cells filled out with specific differences. At this stage, shared differences may provide a hint of relationship, and sometimes I take mental note of these, or even add a exclamation mark next to a seemingly significant feature. Mostly I go through the motions of completing the columns for each species. Nevertheless, several impressions of relationship originate during this stage.

Cotithene sp. nov. 5 strikes me as the species that may be sister to all others, preserving a number of plesiomorphic character states on the rostrum, head, and pronotum. Its shape (Gestalt) is most similar to C. sp. nov. 1, although the latter has the longest frontal setae (and highest degree of intraspecific variation) of all species in the males. Cotithene spp. nov. 3 & 4 appear to be sister species in view of the dark elytral coloration (a derived feature) and other similarities, and C. globulicollis may be sister to this clade. Cotithene sp. nov. 2 does not appear particularly close to any of the other species. The rostrum, head, pronotum, and genitalia should be the most phylogenetically useful character systems.

The next steps include the preparation of illustrations, text, and the creation of a character matrix for phylogenetic analysis.