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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Velvet Ant Sicily (1 Viewer)

Muppit17

Well-known member
Seen today in SE Sicily.

I assume some type of Velvet Ant.

Can anyone confirm please and put a name to it.

Many thanks
 

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Certainly a velvet ant, and a nice one, but I have no idea what species are here. I grew up knowing just the one species in the UK, but I am sure there are others.
 
Looks like one of the Pristomutilla species but being an African species I'm not sure whether they are found in Sicily!


Shane
 
Certainly a velvet ant, and a nice one, but I have no idea what species are here. I grew up knowing just the one species in the UK, but I am sure there are others.

Did you read Scilly too......?

Here's one I had in Russia and never identified to species.
 

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The one from Sicily belongs in genus Ronisia, and it's most likely Ronisia brutia (the top of the head, the vertex, seems to be red, but the photo is not clear on that respect: it should be extensively red in brutia).
The one from Russia might be Mutilla marginata, but a dorsal view would be (ideally) needed in this case.
 
The one from Sicily belongs in genus Ronisia, and it's most likely Ronisia brutia (the top of the head, the vertex, seems to be red, but the photo is not clear on that respect: it should be extensively red in brutia).
The one from Russia might be Mutilla marginata, but a dorsal view would be (ideally) needed in this case.
Thank you Rafael

I attach another photo showing the red on the head.

Seems like brutia is the right one
 

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Definitely brutia, the additional photo is clear and leaves no doubt. Great find and I'm a bit jealous, as we don't get that species in Portugal (it reaches Catalonia, but not further west).
 
Did you read Scilly too......?

Here's one I had in Russia and never identified to species.

Yes :-C

But then I realized that my comment still works...sort of...maybe I can claim insanity on the "my home country is the only country" mindset and get by.
 
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