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Hi


* locality - Silgueiros - Viseu - PORTUGAL
* date - 2007.06.02
* size - 5 mm (medium)
* habitat - open land
* substrate - sand among grass.


Mutilla sp.?? It is a female. The bite of this one is very painful.

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Maybe Dasylabris sp??

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Dasylabris is correct, D. maura may come into account, but there are also some similar species in Spain, and I am not an expert in mediterranean Mutillidae.

Christian
www.galerie.hymis.eu

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thanks a lot Christian! Please tell me which are the characters define the genus Dasylabris and how can we have sure if this can be D. maura?
Thank you once again.

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Dasylabris is unique by a very small and narrow first gastral segment (= abdominal segment), in contrast to the large remaining gaster. D. maura was only an idea, because maura is the most common european Dasylabris, and I compared your photo with specimens in my collection. But there are some more species in Spain, and normally you need a full specimen and a good key for a true identification.
Mutillidae are difficult, and for the moment lack specialists. My specimens had been identified by the late Borge Petersen, and by Arkady Lelej in Vladivostok. I don't know specialists in Europe.

Regards, Christian

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A taxonomic specialist according to Fauna Europaea - Dr Aleksandar Cetkovic at the Belgrade Institute of Zoology in Yugoslavia.

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wow! Thanks! It would be nice to know all mutilids we have. Thanks Christian and crex (thxs for PM). :)

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According to the Marcello, italian expert on mutillids, this is:
Dasylabris maura clausa

He put these features to split the species D. maura:

D. maura maura () - Females with a transverse band of white, dense pubescence between the upper part of the eyes: the band does usually touch the eyes.

D. maura clausa - Females with a subcircolar spot of white pubescence on the upper frons: the spot does not touch the eyes.