The Afrotropical species ofMeloeLinnaeus 1758 are assigned to three subgenera, the nominate subgenus,EurymeloeReitter 1911 andAfromeloeSchmidt 1913. The former is primarily Holarctic with minor representation in southern and eastern Africa;Eurymeloeis almost entirely Palaearctic and represented by only one species in the desert area of Dijbouti.Afromeloeis restricted to Yemen, Sokotra Island, eastern and southern Africa and Madagascar. It is closest to the Palaearctic subgeneraTaphromeloeReitter 1911 andMeloegoniusReitter 1911. This study reviews all AfrotropicalMeloewith an emphasis onAfromeloe.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 ofMeloe cafferPéringuey 1886 represents the first larval description ofAfromeloe.The triungulins of two southern African species of the subgenusMeloealso are described.