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Spotted-winged Antlion - Dendroleon obsoletus Habitat: Attracted to a light Dendroleon,Dendroleon obsoletus,Geotagged,Myrmeleontidae,Summer,United States,antlion,spotted-winged antlion Click/tap to enlarge PromotedSpecies introCountry intro

Spotted-winged Antlion - Dendroleon obsoletus

Habitat: Attracted to a light

    comments (2)

  1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
    Ferdy Christant
    Lion
    View Lion class
    Valuable observation, we have so few! Posted 3 years ago
    1. View Christine Young's profile
      Christine Young
      Lion
      View Lion class
      I rarely ever see the adults. The larvae are easier to find, however, because they make dirt pits.
      Antlion Larva - Myrmeleontidae Antlion larvae can be found in sandy areas, where they dig a shallow cone-shaped pit. They wait at the bottom of the pit for an ant or other insect to fall in. They have robust bodies that are gray or brown in color. Their bodies are covered in bristles, which help them gain traction in their sandpits. They have enormous sickle-shaped mandibles, which have a canal that contains venom and enzymes. Interestingly, they do not have a traditional mouth. Instead, they have a small, fixed slit that can't be used for chewing solid food. So, they have to liquefy their meals. To eat, the larvae grab and stab their prey, inject it with venom and digestive enzymes. which dissolve soft tissues. Then, the larvae just have to suck the goo out of their prey. Their common name comes from the observation that they prey primarily on ants; So, metaphorically speaking, the antlion is a "lion" among ants.<br /> <br /> Antlion larvae have an unusual feature in that they lack an anus. Any metabolic waste that they generate during their larval stage gets stored - some will be used to spin silk for the cocoon, and the rest will eventually be voided as meconium at the end of the pupal stage. Weird, but true.<br /> <br /> Habitat: Sandy area under a birding platform; mixed forest<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/101384/antlion_larva_-_myrmeleontidae.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/101388/antlion_pit_-_myrmeleontidae.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/101387/antlion_larva_-_myrmeleontidae.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/101386/antlion_larva_-_myrmeleontidae.html Geotagged,Summer,United States
       Posted 3 years ago, modified 3 years ago

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The Spotted-winged Antlion

"Dendroleon obsoletus", the spotted-winged antlion, is a species of antlion in the family Myrmeleontidae. It is found in North America.

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Similar species: Net-winged Insects
Species identified by Christine Young
View Christine Young's profile

By Christine Young

All rights reserved
Uploaded Aug 2, 2022. Captured Jul 29, 2022 22:25 in 5 East St, New Milford, CT 06776, USA.
country flag of United States of America Explore United States of America 39,925 9,640 8
  • Canon EOS 90D
  • f/4.0
  • 1/64s
  • ISO800
  • 100mm
Captured in the summer. More summer photos.

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