A review of the Afrotropical species of Meloe Linnaeus 1758 (Coleoptera Meloidae) with descriptions of first instar larvae, a key to species and an annotated catalogue

Abstract

The Afrotropical species of Meloe Linnaeus 1758 are assigned to three subgenera, the nominate subgenus, Eurymeloe Reitter 1911 and Afromeloe Schmidt 1913. The former is primarily Holarctic with minor representation in southern and eastern Africa; Eurymeloe is almost entirely Palaearctic and represented by only one species in the desert area of Dijbouti. Afromeloe is restricted to Yemen, Sokotra Island, eastern and southern Africa and Madagascar. It is closest to the Palaearctic subgenera Taphromeloe Reitter 1911 and Meloegonius Reitter 1911. This study reviews all Afrotropical Meloe with an emphasis on Afromeloe. It includes a description of the first instar larva of three species, a key to adults, and an annotated species catalogue with pertinent synonymy, distribution and ecological records, and brief taxonomic commentary. The description of the first instar of Meloe caffer Péringuey 1886 represents the first larval description of Afromeloe. The triungulins of two southern African species of the subgenus Meloe also are described.

Key Words:

• Coleoptera Meloidae
• Meloe
• Afrotropical region
• larvae
• taxonomy
• faunistics