Two new species of Calathus Bonelli are described from the Ethiopian Highlands, Ethiopa: Calathus kebedei Novoa, Gañán and Baselga [type locality = Ethiopia, Gojjam, Debre Markos at Danghle, near Robu Gebeya, Mt. Choke, 3,793 m altitude, 10°38′19″ N 37°50′04″ E] and Calathus balli Novoa, Gañán and Baselga [type locality = Ethiopia, Wello, Dessie at Guguftu, near Mt. Amba Farit, 3,600 m altitude, 10°57′31″ N 39°27′49″ E]. Calathus kebedei and C. balli are easily distinguished from all other known species of Ethiopian Calathus by pronotal shape and number and location of elytral setae. Males of both species have singular forms of the median lobe of aedeagus and paramera. The two new species are lapidicolous living in Afroalpine grassland, sometimes at the base of the giant Lobelia rhynchopetalum Hemsley.