Key to females of Chinese species of Platycerus The females of the similar species are hardly distinguishable by morphological characters. The useful diagnostic characters are mainly found in the dorsal color of the body, the pronotum, the sterna, the ventrites, the legs, the hemisternites, and the styli of the female genitalia. The following key is tentative, because females of nearly all the Chinese species have not been described in detail in the literature. The females of the following taxa are not distinguishable: Platycerus businskyi, Platycerus bashanicus, Platycerus consimilis phagophilus, and Platycerus yeren. 1 Posterior angle of pronotum angled ............................................................................................................................. 2 - Posterior angle of pronotum rounded ........................................................................................................................... 5 2 Most of the prosternum and central part of mesosternum red in color, only slightly darker than metasternum. Hemis- ternite more upright, with inner lateral margin relatively straighter and more vertical to anterior margin .................... ............................................................................................................................................... Platycerus hongwonpyoi - Most of the prosternum and central part of mesosternum black or green in color, much darker than metasternum. Hemisternite more oblique, with inner lateral margin strongly bent and not vertical to anterior margin .................... 3 3 Pronotum widest near the middle, with anterior half of lateral margin more convex ..................... Platycerus tabanai - Pronotum widest posteriorly, with anterior half of lateral margin straighter ............................................................... 4 4 All tarsi relatively shorter, mesotarsi markedly shorter than mesotibia. Hemisternite wider and shorter, with inner apex not protruding more than outer apex ....................................................................................... Platycerus yingqii - All tarsi relatively longer, mesotarsi nearly as long as mesotibia. Hemisternite thinner and longer, with inner apex protruded more than outer apex ...................................................................................................... Platycerus rugosus 5 All femora shiney red or shiney brown ........................................................................................................................ 6 - All femora black ................................................................................................................................ Platycerus hiurai 6 Metasternum shiney red or shiney brown.................................................................................................................... 7 - Metasternum black..................................................................................................................................................... 10 7 Prosternum and mesosternum concolorous with metasternum. Styli of female genitalia stouter ................................. ................................................................................................................................................ Platycerus cupreimicans - Prosternum and mesosternum more or less darker than metasternum. Styli of female genitalia slenderer ................ 8 8 Dorsal surface more brown and less green. Hemisternites with inner apex strongly protruded .... Platycerus ladyae - Dorsal surface more green. Hemisternites with inner apex not protruding or slightly protruding.............................. 9 9 Metasternum, ventrites, and legs more red in color. Hemisternite with inner apex not protruding at all. ..................... ..................................................................................................................................................... Platycerus feminatus - Metasternum, ventrites, and legs less red in color. Hemisternite with inner apex slightly protruded ........................... .......................................................................................................................................................... Platycerus dundai 10 Dorsal color more brown. Central part of abdominal ventrites brown....................................... Platycerus nagahatai - Dorsal color less brown. Central part of abdominal ventrites black or blue ............................................................. 11 11 Mesotibiae and metatibiae more or less brown ......................................................................................................... 12 - Mesotibiae and metatibiae black or blue, much darker ............................................................................................. 14 12 Dorsal color more blue. Mesotibiae and metatibiae darker brown............................. Platycerus consimilis consimilis - Dorsal color less blue. Mesotibiae and metatibiae brighter reddish brown................................................................ 13 13 Hemisternites with inner basal part broadly membranous and not sclerotized. Styli shorter........ Platycerus kitawakii - Hemisternites with inner basal part not broadly membranous. Styli longer......................... Platycerus cyanidraconis 14 Pronotum with the flattened outer edge wider. Elytra relatively shorter ................................................................... 15 - Pronotum with the flattened outer edge narrower. Elytra relatively longer................................................................ 16 15 Dorsal color basically brassy ........................................................................................................ Platycerus tieguanzi - Dorsal color basically green ................................................................................................................ Platycerus tangi 16 Pronotum with anterior part of lateral margins more convex and less convergent ........................... Platycerus turnai - Pronotum with anterior part of lateral margins straighter and more convergent............................................................ .......................... Platycerus businskyi, Platycerus bashanicus, Platycerus consimilis phagophilus, Platycerus yeren

Published as part of Huang, Hao & Chen, Chang-Chin, 2009, Notes on the morphology, taxonomy, and natural history of the genus Platycerus Geoffroy from China, with the description of a new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Lucanidae), pp. 1-36 in Zootaxa 2087 on pages 31-32, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.274809