Scotoleon minutus
(Adams, 1957)
Scotoleon minutus is an antlion in the Myrmeleontidae. are delicate, slender insects with lacy wings that superficially resemble damselflies but possess short, thick, clubbed that immediately distinguish them. Males have a much longer tipped with bracket-like claspers, a trait especially pronounced in the Scotoleon. Adults are cryptic and capable of aligning themselves seamlessly against substrates to become essentially invisible.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Scotoleon minutus: /skoʊˈtoʊliːən maɪˈnjuːtəs/
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Identification
can be distinguished from damselflies by their short, thick, clubbed . Males are identifiable by their elongated with bracket-like claspers at the tip. The Scotoleon shows particularly pronounced male abdominal elongation. Dark spots and speckles on the wings break up the outline and contribute to .
Distribution
Middle America; North America. Specific records include Arizona.
Behavior
fly clumsily and are most often seen among tall grasses, especially at dusk. They exhibit remarkable : upon alighting on grass stems or twigs, they instantly align themselves to flatten seamlessly against the substrate, rendering them essentially invisible.
Similar Taxa
- MyrmeleonBoth are antlion with lacy-winged , but Scotoleon males have more pronounced abdominal elongation with bracket-like claspers; Myrmeleon larvae construct pit traps while Scotoleon larvae do not.
- Damselflies (Zygoptera) superficially resemble damselflies in body form and wing appearance, but antlions have short, clubbed versus the long, thread-like antennae of damselflies.