Type specimens of seven species of Cryptocephalus are redescribed: C. dregii Suffrian, C. hereto Reineck, C. hildebrandti Harold, C. moseri Weise, C. nigricollis Weise, C. pauli Weise and C. usambaricus Weise. Lectotypes of C. dregii and C. moseri are designated. Faunistic data from the Africa expeditions of the Museum of Natural History Berlin and the Namibian National Insect Collection, State Museum Windhoek, Namibia, are added. Keywords: Insecta, Cryptocephalinae, taxonomy, lectotype designation, Africa, Afrotropical region, Namibia.