This is the first comprehensive tool facilitating the identification of thyretines - the unique group of large arctiids restricted almost exclusively to the Afrotropical Region. The 194 currently recognized species are catalogued and illustrated. Information on the orginal descriptions, type locality and type deposition for each of 333 species-group names is given. 3 genus-group names and 7 species-group names are excluded from Thyretini and transferred to other of arctiids.The diagnostic features of each species are presented as well as short information on early stages, biology and known distribution.