| Distoleon tetragrammicus | |
|---|---|
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| Adult of Distoleon tetragrammicus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Neuroptera |
| Family: | Myrmeleontidae |
| Genus: | Distoleon |
| Species: | D. tetragrammicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Distoleon tetragrammicus (Fabricius, 1798) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Distoleon tetragrammicus is a species of antlion in the subfamily Myrmeleontinae. [1] [2] [3]
Distoleon tetragrammicus is widespread in the western Palearctic realm and it is present in most of Southern Europe and in North Africa. [4] [5]
This species can be found in a wide range of habitats, from coastal dunes to mountain forests, mainly in arid and sandy areas, in oak and pine forests and in various calcareous wasteland with minimum moisture. The larvae avoid exposed sites as coastal dunes. [6]
The adults of Distoleon tetragrammicus greatly resemble dragonflies or damselflies. They have a wingspan of about 75 millimetres (3.0 in). The front wing can reach a width of 26–40 millimetres (1.0–1.6 in). [6] They have thick, prominent, apically clubbed antennae, a long, narrow abdomen and two pairs of long, transparent, multiveined wings, with some brown and opaque spots. [7] This species is sometimes confused with Myrmeleon formicarius.
The larvae do not look anything like adults. The length of a fully grown larva is typically 12–22 millimetres (0.47–0.87 in). [8] [9] The basic body color is dark brown with darker markings. The head is dark brown. The strong dark brown mandibles do not show long bristles outside the margins. Pronotum is covered by large black setae and short bristles. The dorsal side of abdomen has a series of circular markings and a characteristic dorsal median stripe. Mesothoracic and abdominal spiracles are brown. Legs may be yellowish or whitish. [4]
The adults of Distoleon tetragrammicus appear in the middle of the summer and fly from June to August. [6] They are attracted to light. The life cycle begins with oviposition by the female into sand. Larvae of this species don't build craters or pit traps. They live buried in dry ground and may be errant. They are voracious predators, feeding on small insects and other small arthropods that they catch with their powerful jaws. After one year the larva retreats into a cocoon and metamorphoses into an adult. [10]
The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera can be grouped together with the Megaloptera and Raphidioptera in the unranked taxon Neuropterida including: alderflies, fishflies, dobsonflies, and snakeflies.
The antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the neuropteran family Myrmeleontidae. They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which mostly dig pits to trap passing ants or other prey. In North America, the larvae are sometimes referred to as doodlebugs because of the marks they leave in the sand. The adult insects are less well known due to their relatively short lifespans compared to the larvae. Adults, sometimes known as antlion lacewings, mostly fly at dusk or after dark and may be mistakenly identified as dragonflies or damselflies.
The eastern dobsonfly, Corydalus cornutus, is a large insect in the Corydalidae family. It is found in eastern North America in regions with fast-flowing streams where its aquatic larvae develop. These are known as hellgrammites and are among the top invertebrate predators in the streams in which they live. They are used by anglers as bait.
Snakeflies are a group of predatory insects comprising the order Raphidioptera with two extant families: Raphidiidae and Inocelliidae, consisting of roughly 260 species. In the past, the group had a much wider distribution than it does now; snakeflies are found in temperate regions worldwide but are absent from the tropics and the southern hemisphere. They are a relict group and have been considered living fossils, as species from the early Jurassic period closely resemble modern-day species.
Euroleon nostras is a species of antlion found over most of Europe. The scientific name can be translated as "our European [ant] lion". Adults resemble dragonflies or damselflies and may reach up to 30 mm (1.2 in) long, with a wingspan of 70 mm (2.8 in). The larvae prey on ants and other small creatures and require dry sandy soil in which to dig their pitfall traps.
The Asilidae are the robber fly family, also called assassin flies. They are powerfully built, bristly flies with a short, stout proboscis enclosing the sharp, sucking hypopharynx. The name "robber flies" reflects their notoriously aggressive predatory habits; they feed mainly or exclusively on other insects and, as a rule, they wait in ambush and catch their prey in flight.
Ascalaphidae is a family of insects in the order Neuroptera, commonly called owlflies; there are some 450 extant species. They are fast-flying crepuscular or diurnal predators of other flying insects, and have large bulging eyes and strongly knobbed antennae. The larvae are ambush predators; some of them make use of self-decoration camouflage.
Osmylidae are a small family of winged insects of the net-winged insect order Neuroptera. The osmylids, also called stream lacewings or giant lacewings, are found all over the world. A common species through most of Europe is Osmylus fulvicephalus, and are the only family known within the suborder Osmyliformia.
The Neuropterida are a clade, sometimes placed at superorder level, of holometabolous insects with over 5,700 described species, containing the orders Neuroptera, Megaloptera, and Raphidioptera (snakeflies).
Nymphidae, sometimes called split-footed lacewings, are a family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera.
Psychopsidae is a family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera. They are commonly called silky lacewings.
Tachina grossa or giant tachinid fly is a very large tachinid fly.
Ascalaphini is the type subfamily of the neuropteran owlfly family. Most species are found in the tropics. Their characteristic apomorphy, shared with the Ululodini, is the ridge which divides each of their large compound eyes; both groups are thus sometimes known as split-eyed owlflies. The group has been alternatly treated as a subfamily of Ascalaphidae, when the family is treated separate from Myrmelontidae, or as a tribe, when the ascalaphids are treated as a subfamily in an expanded Myrmelontidae.
Cordulecerus is a genus of owlflies, neuropteran insects in the subfamily Ascalaphinae. Species are found in Central and South America.
Ululodes is a genus of owlflies in the tribe Ululodini. There are 26 described species in Ululodes.
Glenurus is a genus of antlions in the family Myrmeleontidae. There are about 12 described species in Glenurus.
Libelloides longicornis, common name black yellow owlfly, is an owlfly species belonging to the family Ascalaphidae, subfamily Ascalaphinae.
Froggattisca rennerensis is a species of cave-dwelling antlion, endemic to the Northern Territory.
Heoclisis fulva is a species of cave-dwelling antlion, found in Australia, in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.