Macronemurus appendiculatus (Latreille, 1807) commonly known as “Antlion”
Forewing length 21 to 25mm.
Family: Myrmeleontidae. (Containing about 2000 species)
Season: May to September.
Although the adults closely resemble a damselfly, dragonfly are also similar to an owl fly; they belong to an entirely different family.
Antlions are mainly found in the warmer climate countries, worldwide. Macronemurus appendiculatus is found in North Africa and mainly in the south and Eastern countries of Europe.
The Antlions larvae are known as fierce predators to most small ground-based insects, notably ants. They will sometimes even trap an unsuspecting flying insect.
Habitat: Woodland edges, scrub land, Grasslands, dunes, road verges and under raised buildings. They mainly favour dry and sandy habitats, so giving their larvae prime conditions to excavate their pits. Failing dry conditions then the larvae will attack its prey from under various debris or ambush their prey among leaf litter.
The larvae hunts from just below the surface at the bottom of a constructed cone shaped pit. It is from here their prey becomes trapped, after falling inside. The prey (usually ants) is then unable to scramble up to escape, because of the loose sandy sides continuously giving way. If the prey does start to have some progress in getting out, then the antlion larvae will continuously flick sand particles at its prey from the bottom of the pit.
When the larva attains its maximum size, it will go deeper into the ground (up to several centimeters) to pupate and undergoes metamorphosis. After completing its transformation into an adult Antlion which can take approximately up to a month. When it then will re-surface as an adult. After about twenty minutes, the adult's wings are fully opened and soon flies off in search of a mate. The adult is considerably larger than the larva, antlions exhibit the greatest disparity in size between larva and adult of any type of holometabolous insect. The adult’s exoskeleton is extremely thin and flimsy, with an exceptionally low density. On average adult Antlions live for around a month.
The adults are weak fliers and are often nocturnal, feeding mainly on pollen and nectar.