Richtersveldia Bellamy

Bellamy, C. L., 2005, A new genus and species of Nothomorphina Cobos, 1955 from northwestern South Africa (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Polycestinae), Zootaxa 900, pp. 1-8 : 3-5

Genus Richtersveldia Bellamy , gen. nov.

Type species: Richtersveldia insperata Bellamy , sp. nov. (present designation).

Description. Small, elongate­ovoid, navicular; surface areolate to foveolate punctate, vestiture sparse; submentum subtriangular; head, pronotum evenly, transversely rounded; scutellum very small, subcircular; elytra separate, striate, subcostate, lateroposterior margins serrate; epipleuron short, not separated from elytral disc with carina; prosternum without depression for antennae in repose; process longer than wide, subquadrate; metacoxal plate without lateroposterior emargination; tibiae slightly expanded distally, apex slightly projecting, angulate; tarsi short, 1–4 with ventral pulvilli, claws appendiculate.

Etymology. This new genus­group name is feminine and is chosen to the highlight the general area, known as the Richtersveld, of the extreme northern extent of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, from where this new taxon was discovered.

Comments. One species unknown in modern times is Buprestis rudis Wiedemann, 1821 , which was first transferred to Nothomorpha by Saunders (1871) and redescribed by Kerremans (1907: 577–578). At the time Holm (1976) revised Nothomorpha , he was unable to locate the type of B. rudis and it remains ‘incertae sedis’. From Kerremans’ (1907) short redescription, it does appear to be closer to Nothomorpha than the new species described herein, principally by the six large pronotal foveae, and the large elytral punctures in striae typical of well­known species of Nothomorpha (e.g. Fig. 7).