Antlion- an insect belonging to the order Reticuloptera. But of particular interest is not the adult individual, which looks like a dragonfly, but the antlion larva, which externally resembles a tick and leads a rather predatory lifestyle.
When talking about an antlion, many primarily mean its larva, and not an adult, which cannot boast of anything outstanding.
The wingless antlion larva looks somewhat like a tick, with powerful jaws on its head. An adult insect has an elongated slender body with long thin transparent wings covered with a dense network of veins.
Adult 
Larva The “lion” lives in sandy areas, where its larva digs a trap house for itself, which is big funnel, the depth of which is 5 cm, and the diameter is 7-8 cm. The larva buries its body in the center of the funnel so that only its huge jaws remain on the surface.
Trap houses 
They feed mainly on ants, but others can also get caught in the trap small insects and spiders. As soon as the victim steps on the edge of this funnel, the sand begins to settle under it, dragging the insect along with it. This is a kind of signal for the “lion”. If the victim is still in the funnel, but can still cling to its walls, then the larva begins to shoot sand at it. Thus, she not only gets rid of the newly arrived sand, but also knocks down the insect with these “shots”. It begins to slide down and ends up in the tenacious jaws of the larva, from which it can no longer escape. The antlion can hold prey that is larger than itself.
Using its jaws, the antlion injects poison and digestive juices into the body of the victim and waits until the internal contents of the prey are digested. Then the larva slowly sucks out all the contents from it and throws out the skin.
In this form, i.e. In the larval stage, antlions live for several years. And only at 3-4 years they turn into an adult. With the onset of changes, the larva begins to weave a spherical cocoon around itself. In it, she undergoes a transformation from a larva to a pupa and, a month after that, into adult insect.
Antlion cocoon The antlion is found in the sandy areas of our vast Motherland, as well as throughout Europe, except England, Sweden and Spain.
(Neuroptera). The name was given due to the characteristic appearance and lifestyle of the larvae. Features family: the head is set vertically, usually has no ocelli, the sides are club-shaped at the end or have a head at the end; abdomen long, narrow. Larvae with large jaws, serrated on the inner edge, equipped with a canal (with the help of which they suck out prey), and with a short, wide abdomen. The larvae of a number of species build characteristic cone-shaped funnels in sandy soils, in which small ground insects are caught.
Genus Myrmeleon with thick club-shaped antennae that are shorter or scarcely longer than the head and thorax; the hind wings are slightly shorter than the front wings. The larvae have 7 simple eyes on each side; chest narrowed; the abdomen is very wide, convex; the body is covered with hairs.
Antlion larva
Antlion larva
The larvae of some species simply live in the sand, chasing various small animals there, but in others (M. formicarius and M. formicalynx) they dig a conical hole in the sand, throwing out the sand with their heads, and carry larger pebbles and grains of sand on their backs, tearing out a funnel, which in adult larvae can reach 5 cm deep. and 7-8 cm in diameter; the larva buries itself in the sand in the center, sticking out only its jaws, and waits for prey; various insects, most often ants, as well as spiders and others, stepping on the edge of the funnel, roll down with sand inside it and are grabbed by the larvae (this method of hunting is played out in many films, for example, the Sarlacc from the film Star Wars. Episode VI. Return of the Jedi was created with an eye on the trap antlions).
Antlion larva trapping funnel
If the insect is strong and energetically gets out of the funnel, the larva throws sand at it (it’s hard to say whether it’s targeted or at random), throwing it out with sharp movements of its head (in a similar way, it removes sand that covers the funnel). The impact of grains of sand often knocks the victim off his feet, after which he rolls to the bottom of the trap. The larva plunges its sickle-shaped jaws into the prey and injects digestive juices under its covers, after which it sucks out the dissolved contents of the body and with a blow of its head throws out the empty chitinous exoskeleton from the funnel. Having reached full development, the larva makes a spherical cocoon in the sand using silky threads, turns into a pupa and, after four weeks, into an adult insect, leaving the cocoon half extended from the sand. M. formicarius black- gray with yellowish spots, fore wings with brown spots, hind wings with one black spot; length 18-30 mm, length of the upper wing 27-36 mm; found throughout Europe except England and Sweden. M. formicalynx is black with an admixture of pale yellow, wings without spots, veins black and whitish, length 25-32 mm, length of the upper wing 30-45 mm. Common throughout Europe except England and Spain.
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See what “Antlion” is in other dictionaries: ANT LION - an unimaginable monster, described by Gustave Flaubert as follows: “In front is a lion, behind is an ant with the genitals inside out.” This fantastic image arose in the Middle Ages from biblical expression in the Book of Job: “A mighty lion perishes without... ...
Symbols, signs, emblems. Encyclopedia - (Myrmeleon) an insect from the order Neuroptera, family Myrmeleontidae. Distinctive features of the family: the head is set vertically, usually has no ocelli, the legs are club-shaped thickened towards the end or with a head at the end; ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
F. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
This term has other meanings, see Antlion. Wikipedia has a portal “Half Li ... Wikipedia Antlion: Antlions are a family of insects from the order Reticuloptera. Antlions ( Half Life
) a number of fictional insect-like alien creatures from the Half Life series of computer games ... Wikipedia - (COMMON ANTLION Myrmeleon formicarius
Dictionary Ushakova
1. LEO1, Leo, male. 1. A large predatory mammal of the cat family, yellowish in color, with a lush mane in males. "Mighty Lion, Terror of the Forests." Krylov. The fighters fought like lions. || A sculptural image of this animal on the gate posts, on... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
This term has other meanings, see Antlion. Antlions are fictional insect-like alien creatures from computer game Half Life 2, coming from the world of Zen. With real-life... ... Wikipedia
This term has other meanings, see Antlion (meanings). ? Antlions ... Wikipedia
The antlion is an insect that has gained immense popularity for the special and unusual lifestyle of its larvae. The antlion larva is a predator and has a frightening appearance, thanks to which she became the prototype for some monsters in science fiction films, as well as video games. It is also interesting that the antlion is quite common in the central part of Russia, so after reading this article, everyone will be able to personally become familiar with this insect.
In nature there are about two dozen various types antlions, most of whose larvae simply live in the sand and hunt small insects there: ants, spiders, etc. Today we will talk about two of the most interesting types antlion - M. formicarius and M. formicalynx. What makes these two species special is their unusual approach to catching prey. It is not enough for them to simply live in the sand on the surface, so they bury themselves in it and then throw out the sand with movements of their heads until a crater is formed in the sand. If there is large debris at the edges of the funnel that the larva cannot throw out with its head, it will carry it out on its rough back. As a result, the antlion larva forms a perfect funnel in the sand, after which it burrows into its center, with only its jaws sticking out.
Usually the larva “settles” near large anthills or ant trails.
Once trapped, the insect tries to get out of it, thereby collapsing the walls of the funnel. Sensing prey, the antlion larva plunges its jaws into the insect and injects digestive juices into it, after which it sucks out all its insides. Having finished working on the prey, the larva gets rid of the remains of the insect. sudden movement heads, throwing them to the surface. After some time, the larva reaches sexual development and turns into a pupa, and then into an adult insect, which essentially has nothing special.
Antlion video
In one of the episodes of the cult game Half-Life, there are several varieties of monsters called “Antlion”, which in appearance strongly resemble the insect described above.
If enough antlion larvae are caught in the trap strong insect, then in order to knock him down, the larva throws sand into him with the same movements as when digging a funnel.
The common antlion (lat. Myrmeleon formicarius) is a Eurasian species of heat-loving insect from the family Myrmeleotidae of the order Neuroptera. It got its name because of the exorbitant appetite of its larvae. It is widely believed that they resemble real lions in their incredible gluttony.
Habitat ranges from Western Europe before Far East almost anywhere there are sandy soil areas and a temperate or warm climate prevails. Most often the species is observed in desert and semi-desert regions.
Behavior
During the day, adults rest with folded wings in secluded places, on stumps and tree branches. They are very difficult to notice due to their nondescript appearance. They begin to be active at dusk.
Adults fly low and heavily, mainly along the edges of forests, gardens, parks and other green spaces. Very often they sit on plants and rest, getting tired during the flight. They become most active and visible at night. Like larvae, adults are convinced predators. They readily eat a variety of small insects, paying Special attention aphids, small flies and caterpillars.
During the mating season, antlions acquire a brutal appetite. Hungry females after mating often eat their lovers, as well as other males who happen to be near her. This way they acquire additional protein, which is necessary for laying eggs.
The female lays eggs in well-heated soft sand.
She makes a small hole in the lower part of her abdomen and, trembling her wings, lowers one egg into it using the ovipositor. Then she flies to another place and repeats the procedure.
The hatched larvae independently dig funnel-shaped holes, reaching up to 5 cm in depth and up to 8 cm in diameter. Their size largely depends on the size of the larva itself and the looseness of the soil. The young predator hides almost completely in its shelter, with only its wide-open jaws exposed above the surface. They blend into the sand and are completely invisible to the future victim.
When building a funnel, the larva, like a crayfish, moves backwards and quickly burrows into soft soil. Then, after a few minutes of rest, she crawls out, pushing grains of sand in all directions and using powerful movements of her head. Then she comes back, spinning in a circle.
It turns out something similar to spiral-shaped channels with a fixed center. In conclusion construction work the larva plunges sharply into the sand, turning the spirals into a funnel.
Antlions are not territorial animals. Many hunters can peacefully settle nearby, reasonably believing that there is enough prey for everyone.
How and what does an antlion eat?
Antlion larvae are tireless and very aggressive predators. Ants look especially appetizing in their eyes, so their burrows quite often appear near anthills. In addition to ants, they eat any insects that fall into their trap.
Their victims include spiders (Araneae), hemiptera (Hemiptera), beetles (Coleoptera) and other arthropods (Arthropoda). They have virtually no chance of getting out of the trap.
The faster the ant caught in the funnel tries to get out, the more the grains of sand fall off, dragging it to the bottom directly into the mouth of the predator. Additionally, the female larva, using circular movements of its head, throws grains of sand into them, speeding up the process. She grabs a fallen victim with her sickle-shaped upper jaws with teeth, along the inner edge of which there is a thin groove. The lower jaw is pressed against it from below and enters the body of the caught prey.
Through the groove, a special liquid enters the caught insect, which digests it internal organs into a semi-liquid pulp.
The death of an ant occurs in one minute, and of a larger spider in 2-3 minutes.
After pupation, the larva lies in the ground in a single-layer spherical earthen cocoon. Until this moment, she manages to winter twice. In most of the range, adults appear in June and can be observed until the end of August.
Description
The body length of the larvae is about 12 mm. It is wide and massive, with a developed torso and abdominal cavity. The head is small and strongly flattened, with simple black eyes and large curved mandibles equipped with teeth and hairs.
The legs are very small, but movable, easily moving back and forth. The color is sandy or yellowish-brown and serves as an excellent camouflage.
The body length of the imago is about 35 mm, and the wingspan is up to 80 mm. The head is relatively small, with round shiny eyes set on its sides. On top of them are sensitive antennae, thickened in the upper part in the form of a thin club. The pronotum is black, with two yellowish spots, which are often connected to each other. The wings are transparent and permeated with a dense network of brown-black veins.
The lifespan of an adult common antlion is about one month.
The antlion is an insect belonging to the order Reticuloptera. But of particular interest is not the adult individual, which looks like a dragonfly, but the antlion larva, which externally resembles a tick and leads a rather predatory lifestyle.
The “lion” lives in sandy areas, where its larva digs a trap house for itself, which is a large funnel, the depth of which is 5 cm and the diameter is 7-8 cm. The larva buries its body in the center of the funnel so that they remain on the surface only her huge jaws.
They feed mainly on ants, but other small insects and spiders can also get caught in the trap. As soon as the victim steps on the edge of this funnel, the sand begins to settle under it, dragging the insect along with it. This is a kind of signal for the “lion”. If the victim is still in the funnel, but can still cling to its walls, then the larva begins to shoot sand at it. Thus, she not only gets rid of the newly arrived sand, but also knocks down the insect with these “shots”. It begins to slide down and ends up in the tenacious jaws of the larva, from which it can no longer escape. The antlion can hold prey that is larger than itself. 
Using its jaws, the antlion injects poison and digestive juices into the body of the victim and waits until the internal contents of the prey are digested. Then the larva slowly sucks out all the contents from it and throws out the skin. 
In this form, i.e. In the larval stage, antlions live for several years. And only at 3-4 years they turn into an adult. With the onset of changes, the larva begins to weave a spherical cocoon around itself. In it, it undergoes a transformation from a larva to a pupa and, a month later, into an adult insect. 