Raphirus Stephens, 1833

Brunke, Adam James, 2023, Review of Quedius (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) described from the 1934 expedition by R. Malaise to Myanmar, European Journal of Taxonomy 864, pp. 117-145 : 135

Subgenus Raphirus Stephens, 1833

In its current composition, subgenus Quedius (Raphirus) is highly polyphyletic and it is not possible to provide a useful diagnosis. Currently, it is more practical to work with species groups until a generic revision of the Raphirus lineage is completed.

Muscicola group, sensu nov.

The Muscicola group of Quedius (Raphirus) as defined here is equivalent to ‘Clade W’ recovered by the phylogenomic analyses of Brunke et al. (2021). Its members can be recognized by the following combination of characters: head with single basal puncture; eyes large and occupying most of the lateral side of head; antennomere 2 shorter than to about as long as 3; scutellum punctate. Recently, the mainland Chinese species of this group (= part of subclade W1 of Brunke et al. 2021) were treated together with Q. microsauroides Smetana, 2008 ( Smetana 2017a) as the Muscicola group. However, Q. microsauroides probably belongs to Clade X of Brunke et al. (2021) as it has an impunctate scutellum and much different habitus.