Validity of Ips chinensis Kurentzov & Kononov confirmed with DNA data Author Knížek, Milos Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Jíloviště, Czechia Author Cognato, Anthony I. Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, USA Corresponding author, E-mail: cognato @ msu. edu text Zoological Systematics 2017 42 2 229 235 http://zoobank.org/4a1b1e1e-e7cc-4b03-a626-ddb031acc92b journal article 4161 10.11865/zs.201712 987621b4-c823-484c-9346-9e218e86b26b 2095-6827 4617647 4A1B1E1E-E7CC-4B03-A626-DDB031ACC92B Ips acuminatus (Gyllenhal, 1827) Material examined. Czechia (Ac1, 2). Norway (Ac6, Ipsacu16, 17). Russia , Krasnodar Krai , Yatyrgvarta Mountain , Caucasian Nature Reserve , Eastern Forestry (elev. 1750 m ), host, Pinus sosnowskyi , 3.VIII.2003 , coll. Mandelshtam (Ipsacu14, 15); St. Petersburg (Ipsacu18, 19, 20); Zabaykalsky Krai , Chita (Ipsacu23, 24) . Male. Frons flat, slightly convex, shining, small pair often flanked with additional tubercles in the middle, above the epistoma, densely granulato-punctate with small central shining smooth unpunctured area in the middle between and just above a pair of tubercles. Suturae on antennal club slightly bisinuate, sometimes nearly straight. Elytral interstriae wide, at least twice the width of striae, flat, all uniseriately irregularly punctured the entire length, punctures slightly deeper and slightly smaller than striae. Striae deep, densely punctate, distance between the punctures smaller than puncture diameter. Elytral declivity, 1st spine on 2nd interstriae, 2nd spine on 3rd interstriae, 3rd spine on 4th interstriae, 2nd and 3rd spine without a common base, distance between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd spines equal. 3rd spine, base wide, narrowed towards the bifid apex, whole spine directed posteriad, upper part of the bifid process of the 3rd spine shorter than lower process. Declivital disc shining, irregularly and not densely punctured. Outline of the elytral edge with continuous rounded costa from the apex to 7th interstriae, tubercle-like process on the elytral apex bent dorsally. Females. Similar to males, except the 2nd and 3rd declivital spines subequal.