Ankareus natalensis Bellamy, 1987

Levey, Brian, 2016, Two new species of Ankareus Kerremans (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Haplostethinae) from southern Africa, Zootaxa 4147 (5), pp. 575-582 : 581

Ankareus natalensis Bellamy, 1987

( Figs 5 , 11 )

1Ƌ, 1 unsexed ( BMNH): “ S. Africa R.E. Turner Brit.Mus. 1923-363/ Port St. John , Pondoland . June 12-30. 1923 / Ankareus mus Thery PARATYPE/ COMPARED TO TYPE C.L. Bellamy/ ANKAREUS natalensis Bellamy det. C L BELLAMY 1989”.

Discussion. Bellamy (1990) suggests that A. felix and A. natalensis are similar. I would agree with this and it is possible in my opinion that they might even be conspecific. Unfortunately no male of A. felix is known. Also the figure of the aedeagus of A. capensis ( Fig. 16 ) is rather similar to that of A. natalensis ( Fig. 11 ) suggesting they are closely related.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. 1. Dorsal habitus of A. bellamyi, holotype; 2. Dorsal habitus of A. felix (Waterhouse), holotype; 3. Pronotum of A. bellamyi, holotype; 4. Pronotum of A. felix (Waterhouse), holotype; 5. Dorsal habitus of A. natalensis Bellamy, ♂ Port St. John; 6. Dorsal habitus of A. relictus (Bílý), ♂ Thanomah. (Scale bar = 1 mm unless otherwise indicated).

FIGURES 11 – 19. Aedeagus (Figures 15 – 19 after the original species description publications). 11. A. natalensis Bellamy, Port St. John; 12. A. relictus (Bílý), Thanomah; 13. A. bellamyi, holotype; 14. A. bilyi, holotype; 15. A. transvaalensis Bellamy; 16. A. capensis Bellamy; 17. A. kenyensis Bellamy; 18. A. somalicus Bellamy; 19. A. luciphilus Bílý. (All figures at approximately same scale. Scale bar = 0.5 mm).