Systematic revision of the Afrotropical genus Bolbaffer Vulcano, Martinez and Pereira (Coleoptera : Scarabaeoidea : Bolboceratidae : Bolboceratinae),with descriptions of eight new species

The Afrotropical genus Bolbaffer Vulcano, Martinet and Pereira is revised. All the species are sexually strongly dimorphic. Few interspecific differen ces were known between the females, but additional characters have now been found to facilitate the identification of females of all species. Seventee n species are recognized of which eight are described as new. The species a re B. bremeri Nikolajev, B. splendidus (Petrovitz), B. tenuelimbatus (Quede nfeldt), B, coriaceus (Petrovitz), B. abditus (Petrovitz), B. bidenticollis (Fairmaire), B. princeps (Kolbe), B. gigas (Kolbe), B. abyssinicus (Muller ), B. barbatus sp. nov., B. dudleyi sp. nov., B. guineaensis sp. nov., B. n ikolajevi sp. nov., B. mozambiquensis sp. nov., B. sasakii sp. nov., B. seb astiani sp. nov, and B. namibiensis sp. nov. Two species, B. bicornis (Mull er) and B. petrovitzi Nikolajev are synonymized (with B. abyssinicus (Mulle r) and B. bidenticollis (Fairmaire), respectively) and one species, Bolboce ras bidenticollis Fairmaire, is transferred to the genus Bolbaffer. Three l ecto- and two paralectotypes are designated. Descriptions, separate keys fo r males and females, distribution maps and many illustrations are provided for all the species.