They are slowly but surely climbing to the title of my favourite insect order!
So yeah, let me tell you some stuff about them! And today I’ll mostly focus on antlions because they are really cool (and by that I mean their larvae)!
So, to get a sense of these guys, neuroptera is an insect order comprising of about 6000 species, they include antlions, lacewings, spoonwings, mantidflies etc, and are closely related to snakeflies and alderflies. As generalities go, they have four iconic venated wings. Their larvae are especially interesting as they are fierce predators, I’ll discuss it a bit later. Also, are holometabolous (they pupate).
They have first appeared during the Permian and have diversified trough the Mesozoic Era! A notable extinct family is the Kalligrommatidae which are also know as the “Butterflies of the Jurrasic” because:
1. They filled the same ecological niche (had a proboscis with which they fed on plant juices and pollen)
2. They had quite big and ornate wings that had also developed scales (not seen in modern neuropterans) Now about Antlions (Family Myrmeleontidae)
Below: wing of an antlion in the Makarkinia genus of the Kalligrommatidae family. The insects of this family had the biggest wingspans of all, with the largest being about 160 mms, while in extant antlions the biggest wingspans belong to the genus Palpares.
Below: Palpares libelluloides (100mm wingspan, are found across Southern Europe)
Now about Antlions (Family Myrmeleontidae)
They are especially known for their predatory larvae, adults are more rarely encountered as they have short lifespans, around 25 days, at most 45 days in some species (do not feed, just reproduce) and on top of that are active at dusk and night. Although they have a worldwide distribution they prefer hotter, sandy places.
Now about the larvae which are basically THE highlight of the species:
While generally being half an inch, the larvae are one of the fiercest insect predators. In many of the species the larva dig special funnel-shaped traps in the sand using their heads. They then slightly burrow themselves in the middle and wait for other insects (mostly ants) to fall down the steep walls of the trap. They then use their sickle-like jaws to grasp the prey and they inject it with paralysing venom and digestive enzymes and afterwards they suck their insides then throw the husk out of the trap and get ready for the next meal. They stay in larva form even for years, they prepare for metamorphosis when they have reached a certain size.
Below: Antlion it its trap:
Also, note that not all larvae of the species make traps like such, some just hide in leaves, bark etc, and an interesting case would be that of the Dendroleon jezoensis species which spends its time on rocks, covering itself with lichen for hunting camouflage! (below)
Also, more cool facts about the antlions:
- They can surive for moths without food as they have a slow metabolic rate (since ya know, they gotta' wait for their food, good adaptation guys)
- Antlions hold the record of biggest size disparity between larva and adult. The adults, while not feeding, are bigger because of their low internal density. (Adults are actually quite flimsy and not very good fliers, and uh, not to mention the fact that the larvae EAT THEIR OWN ADULTS SOMETIMES :,,,, so uh, when the adult females come to deposit their eggs, they come and tap the soil a few times with their ovipositor and sometimes uh, surprise they could become meal for the children... nature)
- In America antlions are known as doodlebugs because when the larvae relocate they leave these tunnels in the ground:
Also, above, the miracle of life, pupation!
Ok, maybe this is it for now, love these guys so much, they are very cute, OH BUT ALSO, their names comes from some weird mythical Christian creature called Myrmecoleon but I won't get into that, it's 1 AM... OH OH, but they are also in Terraria :O
No. Today I felt evil and did not put anything under READMORE because I want people to witness these insects! And ah, fact check me pls, I'm so sleepy and kinda looney.
