Palpares caffer is a species of antlions in the family Myrmeleontidae, which is native to southern Africa. It was described by Hermann Burmeister in 1839.
Palpares caffer is a relatively large antlion with a wing length of about 5 cm.
This species occurs in South Africa from the Eastern Cape (Grahamstown area) northwards to Limpopo province. It has also been recorded in Namibia and Mozambique.
It is fairly common in high-altitude grassland from 1,000 to 2,000 m above sea level.