Adult diagnosis: Species of the Creophilus complex can be recognized by the combination of: disc of head and pronotum glabrous; ventroscapal macrosetae absent or reduced; superior marginal pronotal carina separate from inferior marginal carina along entire length, effaced apically (Fig. 2E, il, sl, Fig. 9J, right and middle arrows); inferior marginal pronotal carina continuous with anterior marginal carina (Fig. 9J, left and middle arrows); mesepimeron with single marginal ridge (Fig. 9K, arrow); male sternite IX subtruncate to shallowly emarginate apically, produced into elongate process basally (Fig. 3Q); median lobe of aedeagus with large apicolateral sclerites (Fig. 3, as); internal sac without ventral basomedian sclerotized strip (as in Fig. 3K, bms).
Remarks: The following taxa are here included in the Creophilus complex: Creophilus (12 species), Hadrotes crassus, Ht. wakefieldi, Hadropinus fosso r, Liusus (two species), Thinopinus pictus.