A taxonomic study of the Platydracus brachycerus group with descriptions of three new species from China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Staphylininae) Author Zhou, Cheng-Lin Department of Biology, Shanghai Normal University, 100 Guilin Road, 1 Educational Building 323 Room, Shanghai, 200234, P. R. China. Author Zhao, Qing-Hao Natural History Museum of Denmark at the University of Copenhagen, Zoological Museum, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark. Author Tang, Liang Department of Biology, Shanghai Normal University, 100 Guilin Road, 1 Educational Building 323 Room, Shanghai, 200234, P. R. China. text Zootaxa 2024 2024-01-16 5399 5 505 516 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5360.3.8 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5399.5.2 1175-5326 10517301 7B25F2AB-A468-4083-9BD0-75B2CD41E4CF Key to species of the Platydracus brachycerus group 1 Body brownish to blackish; abdominal tergites VII and VIII without golden pubescent patches....................... 2 - Body bicolored with elytra and basal part of abdomen reddish; abdominal tergites VII and VIII each with golden pubescent patch......................................................................................... P. donnyi 2 Body with copper reflection; head with punctures very dense, but not contiguous, separated by less than a puncture diameter in transverse direction; tarsomere 5 of anterior leg 1.85–1.98 times as long as wide........................... P. smetanai - Body without copper reflection; head with punctures relatively sparse, separated by about 1–2 puncture diameters in transverse direction; tarsomere 5 of anterior leg 3.15–3.58 times as long as wide............................................ 3 3 Head shorter, HW/HL: 1.21–1.26; antennomeres 5–11 with dense pubescence......................................4 - Head longer, HW/HL: 1.09–1.20; antennomeres 4–11 with dense pubescence...................................... 5 4 Pronotum with lateral sides distinctly curved inward in apical half; elytra with indistinct golden setae along posterior margin; aedeagal paramere slender with one seta at apex...................................................... P. gracilis - Pronotum with lateral sides indistinctly curved inward in apical half; elytra with distinct golden setae along posterior margin; aedeagal paramere broad without setae at apex................................................... P. paragracilis 5 Head with temples more prominent and punctation coarser; pronotum shorter; aedeagal paramere long and bilobed with long setae at apex................................................................................ P. brachycerus - Head with temples less prominent and punctation finer; pronotum longer; aedeagal paramere short and unbranched without setae at apex.................................................................................... P. juang