Myrmeleon

Linnaeus, 1767

antlion, doodlebug

Myrmeleon is a of in the , distinguished by that construct conical in sandy substrates. The larvae, commonly called , bury themselves at the bottom of these pits and use specialized to capture that falls in. are delicate, lacy- resembling but with short, clubbed . The genus is notable for being one of few antlion genera in North America that exhibits pit-building , and it has been documented across multiple continents including North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Myrmeleon texanus by (c) Eric Knight, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Eric Knight. Used under a CC-BY license.

Myrmeleon exitialis imported from iNaturalist photo 318738245 on 20 March 2024 by (c) Z, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Common Antlion Myrmeleon immaculatus female by Jacy Lucier. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Myrmeleon: //mɪrˈmiːliːɒn//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

are distinguished from and by their short, clubbed ( have long, thread-like or bristle-like antennae). From other neuropteran , they are distinguished by and body form. are identified by their pit-building in North America—only Myrmeleon larvae construct conical pits among Nearctic . Larvae of different Myrmeleon can be distinguished by capsule markings, mandibular length and arrangement, bristle patterns, and the of and antennae. The arrangement of digging bristles on the body is also diagnostic: typically eight bristles in the row and four in the row.

Images

Appearance

are , wrinkled, and covered with and bristles, with a pair of long, sickle-shaped bearing grooves for channeling fluids. They move only backwards and are capable of rapid backward shuffling to bury themselves. Myrmeleon have slender bodies with large, transparent, heavily veined that often bear dark spots or speckles for . They possess short, thick, clubbed that distinguish them from superficially similar . Many have patterned wings with alternating light and dark markings.

Habitat

occur in dry, sandy, or fine powdery soils, often in sheltered microhabitats such as beneath rock overhangs, at the base of trees, under bridges, or in the dirt floors of old barns and sheds. They prefer open, sparsely vegetated areas with direct sunlight exposure. In the Cerrado of Brazil, larvae have been observed to forage year-round in protected microhabitats but cease activity during the rainy season in exposed areas. Some inhabit coastal zones. The has been recorded in shrubland and rocky at elevations above 1800 meters in Yemen.

Distribution

distribution spanning North America (including the southwestern U.S. and Mexico), South America, Africa (including southern Africa and Mozambique), Asia (including China, Taiwan, and the Arabian Peninsula), and Europe (including Germany and Russia). Specific documented locations include: Maputo National Park, Mozambique; Yunnan and other provinces in China; Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil; Dresden Heath, Germany; Udmurtia, Russia; and western Kansas, USA.

Seasonality

Activity patterns vary by region and microhabitat. In temperate regions, are most commonly observed in summer and early fall. In the Cerrado of Brazil, forage primarily during the dry season and are inactive during the rainy season due to waterlogged soils. In protected microhabitats within seasonal climates, larvae may forage year-round. Adults are frequently attracted to ultraviolet lights at night.

Diet

are predatory, feeding primarily on and other small ground-dwelling that fall into their pits. In experimental conditions, approximately 60% of captured by Myrmeleon bore were ants. They have been observed capturing , daddy-long-legs, and other small . Prey is subdued with hollow that inject paralyzing and digestive fluids, allowing and consumption of liquefied tissues. feeding habits are poorly documented but are known to include soft-bodied insects and pollen.

Host Associations

Taiwanon (Diptera: Bombyliidae) - Reared from stages of Myrmeleon trigonois in artificial environment; first record from Chinese mainland
Schizodactylus inexpectatus - Dune that preys on some Myrmeleon

Life Cycle

with four stages: , , , and . Eggs are laid in sandy soil by females. Larvae through three , constructing and maintaining pit traps throughout their development. The larval stage can persist for extended periods; starved third-instar larvae of Myrmeleon bore survived an average of 83.9 days without food. When ready to pupate, the larva constructs a silken incorporating sand grains, within which occurs. Adult follows pupal development.

Behavior

are sedentary ambush that rarely relocate their pits once established. They construct conical pits by backwards in a spiral while flicking sand with their and . capture involves sensing vibrations, flicking sand onto the victim to prevent escape, grasping with sickle-shaped mandibles, and submerging the prey beneath the sand. After feeding, dry carcasses are ejected from the pit with a violent head thrust. Larvae can only walk backwards and use this ability to rapidly bury themselves when disturbed. are weak, clumsy fliers that frequently rest among tall grasses and vegetation, aligning their bodies to become nearly invisible through .

Ecological Role

function as sit-and-wait that regulate of small ground-dwelling , particularly . Their pit traps represent a specialized foraging strategy that exploits sandy . They serve as for certain specialized predators such as the dune Schizodactylus inexpectatus. The contributes to local in sand prairie and aridland , with some populations reaching high (documented at 0.177 larvae/m² in Germany, with total population estimates of 4,000–7,000 individuals at a single site).

Human Relevance

are familiar to many people as "" and have inspired children's folklore and charms. Their pits are easily observable in suitable and provide accessible opportunities for observation. The larvae are sometimes kept in captivity for observation, requiring only a container of fine sand and periodic feeding with small . occasionally come to porch lights. The has served as inspiration for fictional creatures, notably the "Ceti eels" in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. Some may have significance in Europe, where specialized sandy habitats are threatened.

Similar Taxa

PalparesLarge African in tribe Palparini with similar but substantially larger size ( length to 75 mm vs. smaller Myrmeleon); are free-living and do not construct pits, instead hiding in sand and capturing ground-resting including
CuetaAfrican with pit-building similar to Myrmeleon; distinguished by larval morphological features including capsule markings and bristle arrangements
HagenomyiaAfrican with pit-building ; one of few genera in southern Africa exhibiting this alongside Myrmeleon and Cueta
ScotoleonNearctic with free-living that do not build pits; larvae hide under objects or roam beneath sand surface; often have elongated male with bracket-like
GlenurusNearctic with spectacular black, , and pink wingtip patterns in some ; are free-living and do not construct pits
VellaNearctic giant with wingspan of 100–120 mm; true giants of the with free-living

Misconceptions

The "" technically applies to , not , yet is frequently used for the entire . Many people assume all antlions build pits, but in North America only Myrmeleon does so; other have free-living larvae with different hunting strategies. Adults are often mistaken for or due to superficial similarity in shape and body form, but belong to a different ( vs. ). The name is sometimes misspelled "Myrmeleonidae" or "Myrmelionidae" in popular and even scientific literature.