Key to species of genus Atanycolus Foerster in China

1. Second metasomal suture (= groove between second and third metasomal tergites) wide and strongly crenulate; third tergite with strongly raised area antero-laterally........................................................................................... 2

– Second metasomal suture narrow and weakly crenulate medially, and at least laterally smooth; third tergite with weakly raised area antero-laterally ........ 5

2. Head entirely blackish; longitudinal grooves of second metasomal tergite shallow laterally; first metasomal tergite blackish brown............................... .................................................................. A. denigrator (Linnaeus, 1758)

– Head dark yellow or yellowish red; longitudinal grooves of second metasomal tergite deep laterally; first metasomal tergite black or yellow....................... 3

3. Triangular area of third and fourth metasomal tergites (except for medio-basally) uniformly sculptured; metasoma pale yellow and head blackish brown ............................................................... A. sculpturatus (Thomson, 1892)

– Third and fourth tergites smooth without any sculpture; metasoma yellowish brown or blackish brown and head reddish yellow ..................................... 4

4. Length of body more than 10 mm; ocellar triangular area with blackish spot (Fig. 2); wing membrane infuscated (Fig. 5); third metasomal tergite with strongly raised area antero-laterally (Fig. 7, 8)............... A. grandis Wang & Chen, sp. n.

– Length of body less than 10 mm; ocellar triangular area reddish yellow; wing membrane yellowish brown; third tergite with weakly raised area antero-laterally............................................................... A. crenulatus Telenga, 1936

5. Second metasomal tergite with parallel longitudinal impressed grooves laterally, medio-basal smooth triangular area deeply impressed; suture between second and third tergites crenulate medially and smooth laterally; tergites three to six orangish yellow ........................... A. initiator (Fabricius), 1793

– Second tergite without parallel longitudinal impressed grooves laterally, medio-basal smooth triangular area without a deep impression; suture between second and third tergites completely smooth; tergites three to six yellowishwhite.................................................................. A. lindemani Tobias, 1980