notes:
Ant lion. (Myrmeleontidae)
On the sandy areas can sometimes see a strange crater. Their diameter is several centimeters, and they are often close to several. From time to time in such a funnel reaches an ant or other small insects. The walls of such bulk, he can not escape, the victim slips down and gets to the tenacity of a trap jaw ant lion larvae. Such a "serious" name this insect was just kind of predation of its larvae. Adults as ant lions in appearance similar to dragonflies, from which they can be easily distinguished but the longer club-shaped antennae. During the day adults are sitting on various herbaceous plants and shrubs, and if they scare, sluggish and slowly migrate to another place. In the Caucasus there are large members of the family antlions - palpary (Palpares libelluloides), in which the wings are bright red spots. Larvae palparov very strong, they are coping not only with small insects, but they can catch and overpower even a fairly large beetles, such as a hairy beetle, much larger than the predator! Ordinary ant-lion (Myrmeleo formicarius). Body length 3.5 cm, a wingspan of 7 cm. Brownish color, a small head with short, strong club-shaped antennae, wings with a dense grid, here and there spots on the rest wings are formed on the length of the abdomen, ant-lion flies only in the evening and night
The ant lion hunts small insects; ant lion larva constructs in dry sand funnel with crumbling edges, buries herself in her bed and lies in wait for small insects. Reproduction. The female ant lion lays eggs in the sand; grown carnivorous larva is 12 mm in length and 6 mm in width
Habitats. The sandy terrain and many regions of Europe, especially with warm climates.
