1(4)	Taxa of minute size, PEL = max 1.10 mm	Abraeomorphus Reitter, 1886
2(3)	Metaventrite densely punctate, basal pronotal stria medially not distinctly inwardly angulate (Figs 17; 45)	A. minutissimus (Reitter, 1884)
3(2)	Metaventrite sparsely punctate (for fig. see Mazur, 1977 fig. 2); basal pronotal stria medially distinctly inwardly angulate (Figs 16; 44)	A. besucheti Mazur, 1977
4(1)	Larger taxa, PEL > 1.10 mm	5
5(8)	Elytra and pronotum with costae	Onthophilus Leach, 1817
6(7)	Large species, PEL = 4.20 mm; punctures of pronotum not forming elongate rugae; pronotum medially with two interrupted keels (Fig. 1)	O. bickhardti Reitter, 1909
7(6)	Smaller species, PEL = max 2.50 mm; punctures of pronotum forming elongate rugae; pronotum medially with four complete keels (Fig. 2)	O. striatus inconditus Reichardt, 1941
8(5)	Elytra and pronotum without costae	9
9(34)	Prosternum with prosternal lobe or “presternum” (for fig. see e.g. Ôhara 1994, fig. 11C)	10
10(11)	Labrum with setae; protibia with numerous tiny denticles (Figs 3, 120)	Tribalus sp.
11(10)	Labrum asetose; protibia usually with several large teeth topped by denticles, never with numerous tiny denticles (Fig. 11)	subfamily Histerinae Gyllenhall, 1808
12(15)	Mesoventrite produced into an anterior angle that fits into an angular emargination of the prosternum (for fig. see e.g. Kanaar 1997, fig. 2)	tribe Exosternini Bickhardt, 1914
13(14)	Larger species, PEL > 3.00 mm; body strongly convex; elytral stria IV basally connected with complete sutural elytral stria; antennal club larger than antennal funicle (Fig. 5)	Notodoma lewisi Reitter, 1910
14(13)	Smaller species, PEL < 3.00 mm; body rather flattened; elytral stria IV basally shortened, not connected with shortened sutural elytral stria; antennal club smaller than antennal funicle (Fig. 4)	Spathochus coyei Marseul, 1864
15(13)	Mesoventrite not produced into an anterior angle, usually rounded anteriorly (for fig. see e.g. Ôhara 1994, fig. 3C)	16
16(21)	Protarsal groove deep, S-shaped (Fig. 46); body either cylindrical or depressed	tribe Platysomatini Bickhardt, 1914
17(18)	Body cylindrical (Fig. 8)	Platysoma (Cylister) cornix Marseul, 1861
18(17)	Body flattened (Fig. 6)	19
19(20)	Anterior angles of pronotum with dense punctures; pronotum on anterior third only slightly narrowed (Fig. 6)	Platylister (Popinus) algiricus (Lucas, 1864)
20(19)	Anterior angles of pronotum with sparse punctures; pronotum on anterior third narrowed more strongly (Fig. 7)	Platylister (Popinus) simeani (Mulsant & Godart, 1875) 1
21(16)	Prosternal groove usually shallow, not S-shaped (Fig. 47); body never cylindrical and usually only slightly flattened	tribe Histerini Gyllenhal, 1808
22(25)	Mesoventrite anteriorly outwardly arcuate, rounded (for fig. see e.g. Ôhara 1992, fig. 11D)	23
23(24)	Apical pronotal angles with a single stria; roundly-oval species (Figs 9, 121)	Atholus duodecimstriatus duodecimstriatus (Schrank, 1781)
24(23)	Apical pronotal angles with double stria; a depressed taxon (Fig. 10)	Eudiplister castaneus (Ménétriés, 1832)
25(22)	Mesoventrite deeply emarginate anteriorly (for fig. see e.g. Ôhara 1994, fig. 68C)	26
26(29)	Inner subhumeral stria completely absent (Fig. 12)	Hister Linnaeus, 1758
27(28)	Elytra with red macula (Fig. 11)	Hister limbatus Truqui, 1852
28(27)	Elytra completely black (Figs 12, 121)	Hister sepulchralis Erichson, 1834
29(26)	Inner subhumeral stria present at least as a short fragment, usually complete (Fig. 14)	Margarinotus Marseul, 1854
30(31)	Body large, PEL>7.50 mm, sub-rectangular; elytra usually with only striae I–III complete (Fig. 15)	Margarinotus (Stenister) graecus graecus (Brullé, 1834)
31(30)	Body smaller, PEL < 7.50 mm, roundly-oval; elytra with striae I–IV developed	32
32(33)	Pronotum with two lateral striae; a larger species, PEL > 4.50–7.00 mm (Figs 14, 121)	Margarinotus (Ptomister) brunneus (Fabricius, 1775)
33(32)	Pronotum with a single lateral stria; a smaller species, PEL = 2.80–4.00 mm (Figs 13, 121)	Margarinotus (Grammostethus) ruficornis (Grimm, 1852)
34(9)	Prosternum without prosternal lobe or “presternum” (for fig. see e.g. Ôhara 1994, fig. 12A)	35
35(36)	Tiny (PEL < 2.20 mm), completely black, dorsoventrally flattened subcortical taxon; elytra without striae (Fig. 18)	Stenopleurum rothi (Rosenhauer, 1856)
36(35)	Usually larger (PEL > 2.20 mm), mostly metallic, occasionally with red macula, roundly-oval, not depressed taxa, never subcortical; elytra always striate (Fig. 19)	subfamily Saprininae C.É. Blanchard, 1845
37(38)	Frontal and supraorbital striae completely absent, basally between elytral stria IV and sutural elytral stria a short hooked appendix present (Fig. 22)	Gnathoncus disjunctus suturifer Reitter, 1896
38(37)	At least supraorbital stria always present, frontal stria often interrupted medially, occasionally prolonged onto clypeus; without basal short hooked appendix between elytral stria IV and sutural stria	39
39(54)	Prosternal foveae present (Fig. 51)	40
40(41)	Carinal prosternal striae divergent anteriorly, “open”, lateral prosternal striae straight, terminating in deep prosternal foveae (Figs 23, 51, 122)	Hemisaprinus subvirescens (Ménétriés, 1832)
41(40)	Carinal prosternal striae usually convergent and united anteriorly; lateral prosternal striae usually convergent anteriorly, occasionally surpassing prosternal foveae, in most cases evading them (for fig. see Lackner 2012, fig. 30)	42
42(43)	Underside of body setose, including elytral epipleuron; a very convex taxon; protibia with three large teeth topped by denticle, followed by five short denticles (Figs 43, 125)	Xenonychus tridens (Jacquelin du Val, 1853)
43(42)	Underside of body usually glabrous, rarely pronotal hypomeron with very short setae (Hypocacculus (H.) metallescens)); elytral epipleuron always glabrous; slightly more flattened taxa; protibia usually with 3–8 short teeth topped by denticle, diminishing in size in proximal direction	44
44(49)	Frontal stria usually interrupted medially, slightly prolonged onto clypeus; if complete (C. aemulus) then elytral stria IV basally not united with sutural elytral stria	Chalcionellus Reichardt, 1932
45(46)	Pronotum with pronotal post-ocular depressions; cuticle metallic, with bronze or slightly greenish hue (Fig. 20)	Chalcionellus blanchii blanchii (Marseul, 1855)
46(45)	Pronotum without post-ocular pronotal depressions; cuticle not metallic, usually dark-brown or black (Fig. 21)	47
47(48)	Frontal stria weakened, but usually complete; elytral stria IV basally not connected with sutural elytral stria (Fig. 19)	Chalcionellus aemulus (Illiger, 1807)
48 (47)	Frontal stria widely interrupted medially and prolonged onto clypeus; elytral stria IV basally connected with sutural elytral stria (Fig. 21)	Chalcionellus libanicola (Marseul, 1870)
49(44)	Frontal stria usually complete; elytral stria IV usually basally united with sutural elytral stria	genera Hypocacculus Bickhardt, 1914 and Hypocaccus C.G. Thomson, 1857
50(53)	Frons with sparse minute punctures (Fig. 48)	Hypocacculus Bickhardt, 1914
51(52)	Frontal stria medially almost straight, forming an acute angle above eyes; supraorbital stria keel-like (Figs 24, 48)	Hypocacculus (Colpellus) praecox (Erichson, 1834)
52(51)	Frontal stria medially outwardly arcuate, not forming an acute angle above eyes; supraorbital stria not keel-like (Figs 25, 49, 122)	Hypocacculus (s.str.) metallescens (Erichson, 1834)
53(50)	Frons densely and coarsely punctate, occasionally punctures forming coarse elongate rugae (Figs 26, 50)	Hypocaccus (Nessus) baudii (Schmidt, 1890)
54(39)	Prosternal foveae absent (Fig. 52)	Saprinus Erichson, 1834
55(60)	Elytra bicolored (Fig. 34)	56
56(57)	At least the entire lateral elytral margin orange-red, usually most part of the elytral disk orange-red with only the short band along the elytral suture black (Fig. 34)	Saprinus (S.) maculatus (P. Rossi, 1790)
57(56)	Each elytron with a well-defined orange-red macula, never occupying the entire lateral elytral margin (Fig. 35)	58
58(59)	Black without bronze hue; macula reaching into fourth elytral interval (Fig. 35)	Saprinus (S.) magnoguttatus Reichardt, 1926
59(58)	Black with bronze hue; macula on elytron reaching into third elytral interval (Figs 31, 123)	Saprinus (S.) externus (Fischer von Waldheim, 1823)
60(55)	Elytra unicolored, never with red macula (Fig. 36)	61
61(62)	Pronotal hypomeron setose, fourth dorsal elytral stria strongly reduced, often absent; a large, usually metallic species (PEL = 5.00–7.50 mm) (Fig. 28)	Saprinus (S.) caerulescens caerulescens (Hoffman, 1803)
62(61)	Pronotal hypomeron asetose, fourth dorsal elytral stria usually not reduced, fully developed; smaller species (PEL = 2.50–6.50 mm)	63
63(64)	Elytra, especially their apical halves with very dense punctation, punctures aciculate and striolate, elytral intervals punctured, third dorsal elytral stria well-developed (Figs 39, 124)	Saprinus (S .) strigil Marseul, 1855
64(63)	Elytra with variously dense punctation, but punctures usually not aciculate or striolate (some specimens of S. (S.) robustus can have striolate punctures, but then the third dorsal elytral stria is always strongly reduced) (Fig. 38)	65
65(70)	Elytra with well-defined polished areas ‘mirrors’, punctation of elytral disk very dense, punctures separated by less than their own diameter, third dorsal elytral stria reduced to absent (Fig. 32)	66
66(67)	Dorsal elytral striae erased by very coarse and dense punctures; pronotum with a well-defined ‘mirror’ consisting of three interconnected ovals of which the middle one is conspicuously larger than other two (Figs 32, 123)	Saprinus (S .) figuratus Marseul, 1855
67(66)	Dorsal elytral striae always visible; pronotum without a well-defined “mirror” (Fig. 27)	68
68(69)	Elytral ‘mirror’ with microscopic scattered punctation, light to dark brown species, without greenish or bronze metallic hue, third dorsal elytral stria reduced, but usually discernible; elytral punctation in fourth elytral interval reaches elytral half (Fig. 27)	Saprinus (S .) aegialius Reitter, 1884
69(68)	Elytral ‘mirror’ glabrous, third dorsal elytral stria usually strongly reduced to absent, dorsum with distinct greenish or bronze metallic hue; punctation in fourth elytral interval does not reach elytral half (Fig. 37)	Saprinus (S.) prasinus prasinus Erichson, 1834
70(65)	Elytra without well-defined polished areas (‘mirrors’), punctation of the elytral disk less dense, punctures usually separated by their own diameter or more (Fig. 36)	71
71(72)	Apices of carinal prosternal striae convergent anteriorly, rather approximate; large (PEL = 4.50–6.50 mm) entirely black species (Figs 36, 52, 123)	Saprinus (S.) niger Motschulsky, 1849
72(71)	Apices of carinal prosternal striae divergent anteriorly (Fig. 53)	73
73(76)	Apices of carinal prosternal striae strongly divergent, laying on lateral sides of the prosternal process (Fig. 53); usually moderately large, brownish species (PEL = 3.50–5.30 mm)	74
74(75)	Pronotal post-ocular depressions deep, third dorsal elytral stria usually not reduced, light to dark brown species with slight bronze metallic hue (Fig. 41), male with deeply depressed metaventrite; male terminalia: apex of 8th sternite (velum) asetose, 8th sternite medially not strongly sclerotized (Figs 57–65, 125)	Saprinus (S.) subnitescens Bickhardt, 1909
75(74)	Pronotal post-ocular depressions shallow, third dorsal elytral stria usually strongly reduced, black species without metallic hue (Fig. 38), male with only shallowly depressed metaventrite; male terminalia: apex of 8th sternite (velum) with dense tiny setae, 8th sternite medially strongly sclerotized (Figs 66–74, 124)	Saprinus (S.) robustus Krása, 1944
76(73)	Apices of prosternal striae divergent, but never laying on lateral sides of the pronotal process (Fig. 54); usually smaller species (PEL= 2.50–3.90 mm)	77
77(78)	Pronotal post-ocular depressions absent, pronotal disk medially with distinct punctation, humeral elytral stria confluent with inner subhumeral one creating a supplementary dorsal elytral stria parallel to first (Fig. 33); male terminalia: apices of 8th sternite with thin, dense brush of setae, medio-laterally with a bean-shaped setose sclerite, aedeagus strongly constricted before apex (Figs 75–83, 123)	Saprinus (S.) godet (Brullé, 1832)
78(77)	Pronotal post-ocular depressions present, pronotal disk medially with only scattered fine punctation (Fig. 42)	79
79(80)	Entire elytral disk with punctation, punctures separated by twice or more their diameter, dorsal elytral striae thin, impunctate (Fig. 42), antennal club large, light-amber coloured; male terminalia: apices of 8th sternite with tiny triangular accessory sclerite furnished with micro-setae, aedeagus short and stout, not dilated apically (Figs 84–92, 125)	Saprinus (S .) tenuistrius sparsutus Solsky, 1876
80(79)	At least the area between united sutural and fourth dorsal elytral striae without punctation (or punctures microscopic), punctures of elytral disk separated usually by less than twice their diameter (Fig. 40), antennal club medium-sized, reddish-brown. The following species are usually only reliably identifiable based on their male terminalia	81
81(82)	Apical margin of metaventrite of male without tubercles. Male terminalia: 8th sternite with two rows of brush-like setae: one situated approximately medially and another apically, aedeagus constricted before apex; apex rounded (Figs 93–101) (Figs 40, 54)	Saprinus (S.) submarginatus J. Sahlberg, 1913
82(81)	Apical margin of metaventrite of male with two distinct tubercles (Fig. 55)	83
83(84)	Tubercles on the apical margin of metaventrite of male slightly removed from metaventral margin (Fig. 55). Dorsal elytral striae surpassing elytral half; male terminalia: 8th sternite with large setose velum (best seen especially from lateral view), apex of aedeagus rectangularly dilated, truncated (Figs 102–110) (Figs 29, 122)	Saprinus (S .) calatravensis Fuente, 1899
84(83)	Tubercles situated almost on the very apical metaventral margin (Fig. 56); dorsal elytral striae usually not surpassing elytral half; male terminalia: 8th sternite without large setose velum, apex of aedeagus only slightly roundly dilated (Figs 111–119) (Figs 30, 122)	Saprinus (S.) chalcites (Illiger, 1807)