---

Hi,

Here is an Atylotus from north Romania found in a wet environment.
I think it's Atylotus latistriatus. I have small hesitation with A agricola, but it is said his presence in Europe is doubtful. I see basal segment with black hairs on top, but white hairs below this segment...
And I see hairs on vertex (on posterior part) but i can't say they are very short, neither very long...

What do you think?


Clovis : Roumanie : Vale : 00000 : 5/8/2013
Altitude : 520 m - Taille : 14mm
Réf. : 114865

Clovis : Roumanie : Vale : 00000 : 5/8/2013
Altitude : 520 m - Taille : 14mm
Réf. : 114867

---

I would say Atylotus fulvus male, but my experiance with Atylotus is limited.
Libor

---

I think it is impossible to call, since we can't see the abdomen properly.
The femora are pretty dark and the head is not that big, so I'd think latistriatus is not unlikely.

Clovis, can you elaborate on ' wet environment '. Coastal ?


Theo

---

Thank you for you opinions.


Sorry i don't have better picture than this one in vivo where we can see the abdomen


But here is the dry specimen(traveled in alcohol):


I had ruled out fulvus because there is hairs on eyes.



Not costal, it is central/ north Rumania (you can click on the number under the first pictures, it show you the exact geolocalisation)
Habitat: i said wet, but not the all area is: it looks like they must be some little stream i didn't see that run around, so there is plants from humid area (like reeds), and also fauna (i saw a grasshopper specie that only lives in wet area). But all around it is fields. No woods.

---

So is it possible to statue?

---

Clovis, you are making a mistake. (Nearly) all males of Atylotus have hairy eyes, so that is not a feature to separate fulvus from latistriatus. However, other features, as the leg colouration, size of head, abdominal pattern are inconsistent with fulvus. It is either a male latistriatus or a very light rusticus.


Theo

---

You are right, i was following female's key... :o
Sorry for that mistake

So difference between both is by the coloration of hairs on this abdominal stripe? I see them all pale, so that would mean rusticus?

---

Hi Clovis,

Possibly, to find out whether it's rusticus or latistriatus we should take a look on the ventral side of the abdomen.
I do not know if it's a reliable character but in addition to dark median stripe on terga, latisriatus should have dark median patch at the anterior margin of the 2nd sternite (sometimes reaching 3d sternite), while rusticus has a narrow dark median stripe on the anterior four sternites.

At least the presence of the dark spot on the 2nd sternite is stated by Olsufjev in his key as diagnostic character to distinguish males of A. latistriatus from A.loewianus (altough in Chvala's descriptions the spot present in both species, so I'm really perplexed with that :()...

Theo, will you comment on the usability of such characters?

After all, habitat clearly favours rusticus. So, probably there is no need to turn round the specimen :)