African species of the mealybug genus Antonina Signoret (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae)

Four species of the legless mealybug genus Antonina have been recorded from Africa and are discussed here. These are A. graminis (Maskell), A. indica var. panica Hall, A. natalensis Brain and A. transvaalensis Brain. All are grass feeding species and live mainly at the base of the plants, between the leaf sheath or at the roots. The names A. indica var. panica and A. transvaalensis have been synonymized previously with A. natalensis but the three species are regarded here as distinct. A, indica var. panica is here raised to specific rank as A. panica. A. graminis is known world-wide, A. panica occurs in North Africa and extends into Israel and possibly Jordan, and A. natalensis and A. transvaalensis are known from the Afrotropical Region. All four species are redescribed and illustrated and a key is provided to aid identification.