Key to Afrotropical species of Mallota Meigen, 1822

1. Head: eyes bare (Figs 11–13) ........................................................................................................... 2

– Head: eyes long to medium long, dense pilose (Figs 14–17) or short and more dispersed pilose (Figs 18–20) ...................................................................................................................................... 4

2. Wing with distinct medial dark brown macula (Fig. 39); head: face brown to black (Fig. 13); thorax: scutum with short rufous pile (Fig. 3); pleura: posterior anepisternum with long rufous pile; scutellum marginated along posterior margin (Fig. 23) ................................................ M. aperta (Bezzi, 1912)

– Wing slightly fumose, more densely coloured along anterior half, without distinct medial macula (Figs 37–38); head: face yellow to dark orange (Figs 11–12); thorax: scutum with yellow to yellow-orange pile intermixed with black pile (Figs 1–2); pleura: posterior anepisternum with long pale yellow to yellow-orange pile; scutellum not marginated, rounded along posterior margin (as in Fig. 24) .............................................................................................................................................. 3

3. Head: face dark orange (Fig. 11); thorax: posterior anepisternum with yellow-orange pile; scutellum orange; abdomen subshining black to dark brown, without white pollinose fasciate vittae along anterior margin of terga 3 and 4 (Fig. 47) ........................................................ M. hirsuta Hull, 1941

– Head: face yellow (Fig. 12); thorax: posterior anepisternum with pale yellow pile; scutellum yellow; abdomen reddish, with distinct narrow fasciate vittae of white pollinosity along anterior margin of terga 3 and 4 (Fig. 48) ...................................................................... M. meromacrimima Hull, 1914

4. Head: eyes long pilose, especially in lower third (Figs 14–17); male eyes dichoptic (the male of M. aenigma is unknown); legs: metatibia ventrally with dispersed short pilosity, pile at most one third of width of tibia (Figs 28–31) .................................................................................................. 5

– Head: eyes short pilose throughout (Figs 18–20), male eyes holoptic; legs: metatibia ventrally with dense long pilosity in at least apical half, pile at least half as long as width of tibia (Figs 32–34) .. 8

5. Face: clypeus without tuft of hairs (Fig. 22); legs: metafemur strongly swollen, in anterior view medial part at least three times as broad as the apex (Figs 28–29) ................................................... 6

– Face: clypeus with tuft of hairs (Fig. 21); legs: metafemur moderately to strongly swollen, in anterior view medial part 2.5–3 times as broad as the apex (Figs 30–31) ..................................................... 7

6. Legs: metatibia with apex pointed (Fig. 28); metafemur medioventrally with short black pile (Fig. 35); pro- and mesotibia largely orange-red ............................. M. dasyops (Wiedemann, 1819)

– Legs: metatibia apically blunt (Fig. 29); metafemur medioventrally bare in distal half (Fig. 36); pro- and mesotibia largely black ................................................................................... M. glabra sp. nov.

7. Head female: frons long pilose, with pile as long as length of postpedicel (Fig. 17); legs: metafemur moderately swollen, more than three times as long as high, dorsal margin moderately convex (Fig. 31) .................................................................. M. aenigma Bezzi, 1912 (the male is unknown)

– Head female: frons short pilose, with pile less than length of postpedicel (Fig. 16); legs: metafemur strongly swollen, less than three times as long as high, dorsal margin strongly convex (Fig. 30) ..... ................................................................................................................................ M. hircus sp. nov.

8. Head: face flattened and not protruding; facial tubercle hardly visible; ocellar pile short, in lateral view about equal to ocellar triangle (Fig. 20) .................................................... M. stipulata sp. nov.

– Head: face distinctly protruding; facial tubercle distinctly pronounced; ocellar pile longer, in lateral view at least twice as long as ocellar triangle (Figs 18–19) ............................................................. 9

9. Abdomen: tergum 2 black with orange maculae restricted to anterolateral margins, not extending beyond half of the width of the tergum along margin (Fig. 55); sterna 1–3 completely black-brown to black .................................................................................................................... M. wyatti sp. nov.

– Abdomen: tergum 2 black with orange maculae more extensive, along lateral margins reaching almost till posterior margin, sometimes extending medially till halfway (Fig. 54); sterna 1–3 partially yellow-orange ............................................................................................ M. extrema (Loew, 1858)