Subgenus Raphirus

Diagnosis. In spite of several available larval descriptions of the members of Raphirus: Q. alpestris, Q. ghilarovi, Q. fumatus, Q. humeralis, Q. lateralis, Q. nemoralis, Q. picipes, Q. semiobscurus, Q. suturalis, Q. umbrinus (Paulian 1941; Smetana 1962; Pototskaya 1967; Frank 1969; Kasule 1970), only four common characters were determined at the subgenus level, which are as follows: head widened anteriorly, posterior part of nasale as in the subgenus Quedius (Fig. 3B), large sensory appendage on segment III acorn-shaped, pygopod clearly longer than urogomphi (Fig. 11D). These diagnostic characters, however, only permit distinguishing the subgenus Raphirus from Microsaurus, but not from Quedius or Distichalius . This probably results from the lack of sufficiently detailed morphological data on species described earlier, and perhaps a high morphological diversity of Raphirus larvae. That fact could also confirm the hypothesis that this subgenus, as presently defined may be artificial.