Key to the Palaearctic species of the genus Taphaeus Wesmael, 1835

1. In dorsal view length of eye almost equal to length of temple or a little longer of it; face at least in the middle with clearly transverse aciculation.................................................................................. 2

- In dorsal view length of eye 0.8–0.9 times temple; face without transverse aciculation; body length 3.2–4.0 mm. Palaearctic Region......................................................................... T. rufocephalus (Telenga)

2. Apical margin of clypeus truncate; length of malar space 0.7–0.8 times basal width of mandible, 0.3 times maximum width of eye; length of ovipositor sheath 0.7 times body length. Female. 2.5–4.0 mm. Male. 3.2–3.5 mm. Palaearctic and Nearctic region.............................................................................. T. hiator (Thunberg)

- Apical margin of clypeus round (Fig. 2); length of malar space 0.6 times basal width of mandible, 0.2 times maximum width of eye; length of ovipositor sheath 0.8 times body length. Female. 3.7–4.5 mm. Male. 3.5–4.7 mm. Palaearctic part of China (Ningxia, Hebei)..................................................................... T. pseudohiator sp. n.