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Myrmeleon sp. - Antlion / Formiga-Leão (Linnaeus, 1767) Neuroptera: Myrmeleontiformia: Myrmeleontoidea: Myrmeleontidae: Myrmeleontinae: Myrmeleontini<br /> <br /> Picture with the full description here: <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/59508/myrmeleon_sp._-_antlion_formiga-leo_linnaeus_1767.html" title="Myrmeleon sp. - Antlion / Formiga-Le&atilde;o (Linnaeus, 1767)"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/3305/59508_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=ZacCIt3HIrFV6UrVfa2GurgeWuM%3D" width="128" height="152" alt="Myrmeleon sp. - Antlion / Formiga-Le&atilde;o (Linnaeus, 1767) Neuroptera: Myrmeleontiformia: Myrmeleontoidea: Myrmeleontidae: Myrmeleontinae: Myrmeleontini<br /> <br /> Other picture: https://www.jungledragon.com/image/59507/40612392044_4f8e9af9d2_o.html<br /> <br /> Myrmeleon is a genus of antlions in the order Neuroptera, suborder Myrmeleontiformia, superfamily Myrmeleontoidea, family Myrmeleontidae, subfamily Myrmeleontinae and tribe Myrmeleontini. Found on the 16th floor of a flat.<br /> <br /> Myrmeleon are myrmecophagous (a diet consisting on ants and termites).<br /> <br /> &quot;Antlion&quot; refers to lions themselves which are normally associated with predators, so an &quot;antlion&quot; would be associated with a predator of ants. Even then, some can also predate on dune crickets (Schizodactylus inexpectatus) and small Arachnids. A curiosity on Myrmeleontinae lies in the video-game Final Fantasy where there are fightable creatures called &quot;antlions&quot; that are normally found in holes dug in shallow pits in loose sand to trap prey in some sort of quicksand, a behaviour often seen in the larvae of Myrmeleon. A picture of such creature ingame can be found here (although their appearance changes among games, the aspect is somewhat similar): vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/7/73/Antl.... They also appeared on other video-games, such as SimAnt in 1991 and in Half-Life 2. Sarlacc, a fictional character from the Star Wars franchise is compared to a real-life antlion.<br /> <br /> The picture is also reminiscent of the larvae of Myrmeleon which further fundaments the theory and most likely reference.<br /> <br /> The larvae of Myrmeleon are fierce predators and capture prey through the aforementioned technique of digging holes in shallow sand to sink prey in. The jaws of Myrmeleon&#039;s larvae possess projections that are hollow and enables the larvae to suck the fluids out of the prey. Through this hole in the jaws, antlions can inject a venom and enzymes to subdue prey before beginning the digestion. They are sensitive to vibrations in the ground and low-frequency sounds can allow the larva to locate the victim. The beasts in the movie &quot;Tremor&quot; might be a reference to antlions. The detection of the vibrations is done through the arrival of waves to the receptors which are tufts of hairs on the sides of the two hindmost thoracic segments. These hair tufts are extremely sensitive and can detect insects roaming around. The dry carcass of the diseased prey is thrown out of the sandpit and the larva will ready the pit again by throwing out collapsed material from the center and steepening the pit walls to the angle of repose. Other Arthropods can make use of of the Myrmeleon&#039;s preying technique. Scaptia muscula, for instance, lives in the pit traps and feeds on the caught prey. The Lasiochalcidia igiliensis purposedly traps itself in order to parasitise the Myrmeleon larva by ovipositing between its head and thorax.<br /> <br /> The life cycle of Myrmeleontids is poorly known. Eggs of Myrmeleon are laid in suitable locations. The subsequent behaviour depends on the location and the species; some will conceal themselves under leaves, debris or wood; some will hide in cracks or dig funnel-shaped pits in loose material. The maintenance of the pit is costly. Due to this, the metabolic rates of the Myrmeleontids are low which allow them to survive long periods without food. The technique of ambush predation is risky.<br /> <br /> Myrmeleon thrives in a variety of habitats, such as wooded lands, scrub grasslands and dry sandy areas. They can also be found in arid and semiarid areas. The body&#039;s size can increase with the cooling of temperatures due to their maturation slowing down. This means the larva will have a longer time to increase in size, producing larger adults. The cooler the temperature, the less food is likely to be obtained.<br /> <br /> The adult is long, slender with short antennae and lacy wings as depicted. The throwing of sand by neighbor larvae and cannibalism may disrupt the affected larva and lead it to find another habitat to thrive.<br /> <br /> Adult antlions generally have a short life span and some do not even feed; they mate and die. To complete the life cycle they depend critically on the body mass of the larvae before pupation. The development of the larva, then, is responsible for the characteristics of the adult. The larvae can live for up to three years before becoming the short-lived adults, these living, generally, for a couple of weeks. The larvae, as far as I know, never excrete their faeces; the more they hold in, the better they are ready to pupate. When the time comes, they evacuate their meconium (first evacuation). Adults are considered poor flyers, active during the night and attracted to light sources.<br /> <br /> Sources:<br /> <br /> http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&amp;pid=S1519-69842017000100038<br /> <br /> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antlion<br /> <br /> https://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/beneficial-insects_lacewings-and-antlions.pdf<br /> <br /> http://entomologylabpr.blogspot.com/2013/06/ant-lions-myrmeleon-species.html<br /> <br /> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmeleon<br /> <br /> http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&amp;pid=S1519-566X2007000500026<br /> <br /> http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio210/s2012/jacobson_marc/<br /> <br /> Date: 11th of February, 2018 at 11:55:12pm.<br /> Location: Cear&aacute;, Fortaleza in Brazil, 16th floor of a flat in an urban habitat.<br /> <br /> VERS&Atilde;O EM PORTUGU&Ecirc;S AQUI: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/737109711 Adult Antlion,Am&eacute;rica do Sul,Brazil,Cear&aacute;,Formiga-Le&atilde;o,Myrmeleon,Myrmeleontidae,Myrmeleontiformia,Myrmeleontinae,Myrmeleontini,Myrmeleontoidea,Neotropical,Neuroptera,Neuropteran,Neur&oacute;ptero,South America,antlion,biologia,biology,brasil" /></a></figure><br /> <br /> Date: 11th of February, 2018 at 09:06:54pm, on the 16th floor of a flat in an urban habitat.<br /> Location: Cear&aacute;, Fortaleza in Brazil, 16th floor of a flat in an urban habitat.<br /> <br /> VERS&Atilde;O EM PORTUGU&Ecirc;S AQUI: <a href="http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/737109711" rel="nofollow">http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/737109711</a> Adult Antlion,América do Sul,Brazil,Ceará,Formiga-Leão,Myrmeleon,Myrmeleontidae,Myrmeleontiformia,Myrmeleontinae,Myrmeleontini,Myrmeleontoidea,Neotropical,Neuroptera,Neuropteran,Neuróptero,South America,antlion,biologia,biology,brasil Click/tap to enlarge

Myrmeleon sp. - Antlion / Formiga-Leão (Linnaeus, 1767)

Neuroptera: Myrmeleontiformia: Myrmeleontoidea: Myrmeleontidae: Myrmeleontinae: Myrmeleontini

Picture with the full description here:

Myrmeleon sp. - Antlion / Formiga-Leão (Linnaeus, 1767) Neuroptera: Myrmeleontiformia: Myrmeleontoidea: Myrmeleontidae: Myrmeleontinae: Myrmeleontini<br /> <br /> Other picture: https://www.jungledragon.com/image/59507/40612392044_4f8e9af9d2_o.html<br /> <br /> Myrmeleon is a genus of antlions in the order Neuroptera, suborder Myrmeleontiformia, superfamily Myrmeleontoidea, family Myrmeleontidae, subfamily Myrmeleontinae and tribe Myrmeleontini. Found on the 16th floor of a flat.<br /> <br /> Myrmeleon are myrmecophagous (a diet consisting on ants and termites).<br /> <br /> "Antlion" refers to lions themselves which are normally associated with predators, so an "antlion" would be associated with a predator of ants. Even then, some can also predate on dune crickets (Schizodactylus inexpectatus) and small Arachnids. A curiosity on Myrmeleontinae lies in the video-game Final Fantasy where there are fightable creatures called "antlions" that are normally found in holes dug in shallow pits in loose sand to trap prey in some sort of quicksand, a behaviour often seen in the larvae of Myrmeleon. A picture of such creature ingame can be found here (although their appearance changes among games, the aspect is somewhat similar): vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/7/73/Antl.... They also appeared on other video-games, such as SimAnt in 1991 and in Half-Life 2. Sarlacc, a fictional character from the Star Wars franchise is compared to a real-life antlion.<br /> <br /> The picture is also reminiscent of the larvae of Myrmeleon which further fundaments the theory and most likely reference.<br /> <br /> The larvae of Myrmeleon are fierce predators and capture prey through the aforementioned technique of digging holes in shallow sand to sink prey in. The jaws of Myrmeleon's larvae possess projections that are hollow and enables the larvae to suck the fluids out of the prey. Through this hole in the jaws, antlions can inject a venom and enzymes to subdue prey before beginning the digestion. They are sensitive to vibrations in the ground and low-frequency sounds can allow the larva to locate the victim. The beasts in the movie "Tremor" might be a reference to antlions. The detection of the vibrations is done through the arrival of waves to the receptors which are tufts of hairs on the sides of the two hindmost thoracic segments. These hair tufts are extremely sensitive and can detect insects roaming around. The dry carcass of the diseased prey is thrown out of the sandpit and the larva will ready the pit again by throwing out collapsed material from the center and steepening the pit walls to the angle of repose. Other Arthropods can make use of of the Myrmeleon's preying technique. Scaptia muscula, for instance, lives in the pit traps and feeds on the caught prey. The Lasiochalcidia igiliensis purposedly traps itself in order to parasitise the Myrmeleon larva by ovipositing between its head and thorax.<br /> <br /> The life cycle of Myrmeleontids is poorly known. Eggs of Myrmeleon are laid in suitable locations. The subsequent behaviour depends on the location and the species; some will conceal themselves under leaves, debris or wood; some will hide in cracks or dig funnel-shaped pits in loose material. The maintenance of the pit is costly. Due to this, the metabolic rates of the Myrmeleontids are low which allow them to survive long periods without food. The technique of ambush predation is risky.<br /> <br /> Myrmeleon thrives in a variety of habitats, such as wooded lands, scrub grasslands and dry sandy areas. They can also be found in arid and semiarid areas. The body's size can increase with the cooling of temperatures due to their maturation slowing down. This means the larva will have a longer time to increase in size, producing larger adults. The cooler the temperature, the less food is likely to be obtained.<br /> <br /> The adult is long, slender with short antennae and lacy wings as depicted. The throwing of sand by neighbor larvae and cannibalism may disrupt the affected larva and lead it to find another habitat to thrive.<br /> <br /> Adult antlions generally have a short life span and some do not even feed; they mate and die. To complete the life cycle they depend critically on the body mass of the larvae before pupation. The development of the larva, then, is responsible for the characteristics of the adult. The larvae can live for up to three years before becoming the short-lived adults, these living, generally, for a couple of weeks. The larvae, as far as I know, never excrete their faeces; the more they hold in, the better they are ready to pupate. When the time comes, they evacuate their meconium (first evacuation). Adults are considered poor flyers, active during the night and attracted to light sources.<br /> <br /> Sources:<br /> <br /> http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842017000100038<br /> <br /> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antlion<br /> <br /> https://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/beneficial-insects_lacewings-and-antlions.pdf<br /> <br /> http://entomologylabpr.blogspot.com/2013/06/ant-lions-myrmeleon-species.html<br /> <br /> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmeleon<br /> <br /> http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-566X2007000500026<br /> <br /> http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio210/s2012/jacobson_marc/<br /> <br /> Date: 11th of February, 2018 at 11:55:12pm.<br /> Location: Ceará, Fortaleza in Brazil, 16th floor of a flat in an urban habitat.<br /> <br /> VERSÃO EM PORTUGUÊS AQUI: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/737109711 Adult Antlion,América do Sul,Brazil,Ceará,Formiga-Leão,Myrmeleon,Myrmeleontidae,Myrmeleontiformia,Myrmeleontinae,Myrmeleontini,Myrmeleontoidea,Neotropical,Neuroptera,Neuropteran,Neuróptero,South America,antlion,biologia,biology,brasil


Date: 11th of February, 2018 at 09:06:54pm, on the 16th floor of a flat in an urban habitat.
Location: Ceará, Fortaleza in Brazil, 16th floor of a flat in an urban habitat.

VERSÃO EM PORTUGUÊS AQUI: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/737109711

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Uploaded May 1, 2018. Captured in Rua Tomás Acioli, 1185 - Joaquim Távora, Fortaleza - CE, 60135-180, Brazil.
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