Pityogenes trepanatus

The antennae of this beetle reminded me of the Xyleborinus I had previously identified as the basal antennomere of the club seemed to be distorted, expanded on its upper sides so that it covered not all but most of the club's dorsal surface. It had covered more-or-less all of the dorsal surface on the Xyleborinus, but as the key (Duff) allowed for it to be "almost all" for tribe Xyleborini, I thought most of it was good enough - after all, the alternative was that the club was not distorted at all. Looking at the club from beneath I could clearly see divisions marking the separate segments, but looking from above I could only see a single division at about 4/5 of the way from the base of the club to the apex. However, if I keyed it as Xyleborini the well-spaced front coxae meant it keyed to Xylosandrus germanus but it clearly wasn't that.

If I took the antennal club not to be distorted then it keyed to tribe Ipini, which in view of the distinctive elytral apical declivity seemed far more satisfactory. Initially I took the elytral apical margins referred to in the key to genera of Ipini to refer to the sides of the apex which didn't seem to be visible from above, but after I'd failed to get anywhere with Ips or Orthotomicus that seemed right I realised that the margin was visible from above right at the apex, so it was Pityogenes. After that it keyed relatively easily to male trepanatus.

male Pityogenes trepanatus showing antennae and head from below, antenna from above, front of pronotum from side, pronotum from side, fore coxae, elytra from side and elytral apical declavity from above, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 6th September 2023