Ant-lion

Myrmeleon formicarius
Antlions (Myrmeleontidae)

CC-BY-SA 2.0 rights : Gilles San Martin

A damselfly similar fly with a slim body, sturdy antennae and large veined blueish wings with a light marking. When resting this marking is low towards the wingtip. The larvae are actually the ant-lion, being beige-brown with a little round head, sturdy jaws and round rear. 

The adult ant-lion is active at night, digging a burrow in the sand with a little cover on it where it ambushes passing ants. 

⇔ l. 40-45 mm

LA:
≈ The DISTOLEON TETRAGRAMMICUS has more wing markings and striped probes. See photo LA.
≈ Various ZYGOPTERA (Damselflies) have smaller less conspicuous antennae. They fold the wings differently when resting, the wing marking is typically at the top of the wingtip for damselflies.
≈ The larvae of the ASCALAPHIDAE (Owlflies) look like these larvae.

Where?

Family(1)

WWW info

Compare

Continu searching

Size

Shape

Colour

Leg

Back

Feeler

Wing