THE MELIGETHES OF THE M-PUBESCENS SPECIES-GROUP FROM SOUTHERN AFRICA (COLEOPTERA, NITIDULIDAE, MELIGETHINAE)

The known Southern African species of the pubescens species-group in t he genus Meligethes Stephens, 1830, are revised. A diagnosis of the M. pubescens species-group is given and eight new species are described from South Africa, Namibia and Botswana: M. argentarius sp. n. (Easter n Cape Province, Kwa-Zulu Natal), M. aurivestis sp, n.( Western Cape P rovince), M. eremita sp. n. (Namibia, Northern Cape), M. hermanniae sp . n. (Western Cape Province), M. massivus sp. n. (Northern Transvaal), M. namakwaensis sp. n. (Namaqualand, Western Cape Province, and south ern Namibia), M pecten sp. n. (Western Cape Province, Free State), and M. rufofuscus sp. n. (Namibia, Botswana, and northern South Africa). Redescriptions and line drawings of male and female genitalia, legs an d habitus of M. pubescens Reitter, 1872, M. translatus Grouvelle, 1913 , M. confertus Reitter, 1872, M. plumbeus Reitter, 1872, M.fuerschi Sp ornraft & Audisio, 1995 (= M. antlia Kirejtshuk, 1996, syn. n.), M. ma rshalli Grouvelle, 1915, and ecological data on most of the species de alt with (all probably using Sterculiaceae of the genus Hermannia as l arval host-plants) are also included.