Myrmeleon crudelis

Walker, 1853

antlion

Myrmeleon crudelis is a pit-building whose construct conical traps in fine-grained soil to capture small . Research on this species has focused on its behavioral plasticity in trap construction and capture kinematics. Larvae demonstrate sophisticated modulation of velocity during and adjust pit architecture in response to prey availability and soil conditions. The species occurs in tropical dry forests of Rica and has been recorded from Middle and North America.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Myrmeleon crudelis: /mɪrˈmiːliən kruːˈdɛlɪs/

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Habitat

Tropical dry forest soils, specifically microhabitats with fine-grained soil particles (≤2 mm). actively select substrates with high proportions of fine particles for pit construction. In Rica, occurs in areas with sparse vegetation cover associated with fine-soil substrates. Absent or at low in -acacia clearings due primarily to inadequate soil conditions rather than ant .

Distribution

Middle America and North America. Documented from Rica (tropical dry forests). GBIF records indicate presence in both Middle America and North America.

Diet

Small , primarily . are captured in pit traps and subdued with enlarged, sickle-shaped .

Life Cycle

Larval stage is semisedentary with limited mobility once pit trap is established. with likely occurring in a silken underground (typical for , though not explicitly documented for this ).

Behavior

construct conical pit traps by backwards in a spiral while flicking sand with and . Trap construction is faster and more successful in fine-grained soil. capture involves rapid mandible (17.60 ± 2.92 msec) with modulation of angular velocity: the far mandible moves faster (65 ± 21 rad sec⁻¹) than the near mandible (35 ± 14 rad sec⁻¹) to achieve simultaneous contact. Larvae flick sand onto prey to prevent escape. Trap design is plastic: diameter increases when prey is scarce (enhancing encounter probability), depth increases when prey escape easily (enhancing retention). Forms due to convergent microhabitat preferences rather than social . Larvae walk only backwards and can rapidly bury themselves when disturbed.

Ecological Role

Sit-and-wait that influences local structure through pit-trap . Low in -acacia clearings may indirectly benefit acacia ants by reducing predation pressure.

Similar Taxa

Myrmeleon immaculatusAlso constructs pit traps in sandy soils in North America; distinguished by distribution and potentially patterning, though specific differences require examination of
Other Myrmeleontidae generaMost other in North America have free-living that do not construct pits; M. crudelis is distinguished by its pit-building and tropical dry forest

More Details

Research significance

M. crudelis has become a model organism for studying behavioral plasticity in extended phenotypes and the kinematics of capture in terrestrial . Studies have demonstrated that this exhibits more sophisticated behavioral modulation than previously recognized in neuropteran larvae.