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- This page contains pictures and information about Antlions that
we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
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 - Antlion - adult
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- Adults have short antenna which thicken towards the tips. They are medium
to large size with long wings. Most of them are predator although some feed on
pollen.
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- Eggs are laid singly and being scattered in dry soil.
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- Antlion is the common name given to the larvae of some
species (genera Myrmeleon and Callistoleon) in this family. The
larva
builds sand traps to trap
the ants walk by.
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- Antlion - larva, body length 5mm
Sand traps, diameters 40mm
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- The sand traps are about 40mm diameter. The Antlion sit at
the middle of the trap, covered by sands. When an ant walk inside the trap,
some sands fall into the centre alert the Antlion, then it flicks more sands
to the ant and cause the 'land sliding'. The ant then fall towards the centre
and the Antlion attacks the ant by its long jaws.
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- Some other species larva burrow freely in sand or live on tree as
predators.
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- Antlion
 - Myrmeleon
pictifrons, subfamily Myrmeleontinae, Myrmeleontini, adult, body length 30mm
- Pictures taken
near Bulimba Creek in Wishart during late summer. Although it has two pair of
membranous wings like the dragonfly, the Antlion adults flied slowly and short
distance. Their larvae are true Antlions, build sand traps on ground.
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- Orange Antlion
- Callistoleon erythrocephalus, subfamily Myrmeleontinae,
Myrmeleontini, body length 40mm
- Pictures taken in Alexandra Hill during early summer. The lacewing has
bright orange colour head and thorax with spotted wings. Their larvae are true
Antlions, build sand traps on ground. More pictures and information please
click on here.
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- Banded Antlion
- Glenoleon pulchellus, subfamily Myrmeleontinae, Dendroleontini, adult, body length 40mm
- We found this adult
Antlion during summer in Alexandra Hill bushland. There are quite a
number in a small area. All of them hiding under fallen tree or stem close to
the ground. When disturbed they fly slowly away to another hiding place.
Because of their camouflaged colour, they are difficult to be seen if they do not
move. They can
also be found in Mt Cotton bushland and Karawatha Forest. More pictures and
information can be found in this page.
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- Antlion
 - Distoleon bistrigatus, subfamily Myrmeleontinae,
Distoleontini, adult, body length 40mm
- This Antlion
adult was found in Karawatha Forest. It mimicked part of the dry stem. It did
not move a bit even when we came very close.
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- Silver Lacewing
 - Stilbopteryx costalis, subfamily Stilbopteryginae, body length 35mm
- In Dec 2005, we saw at least two of them in Karawatha Forest, Brisbane. We
did not saw them in any other place. They are large in size, with silvery-grey
colour body. They are the very good flyer comparing with the other Lacewings
species that we found. More pictures and information can be found in this page.
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- Reference and Link:
- 1. Insects
of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University
Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 541.
- 2. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus &
Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p323.
- 3. Wildlife
of greater Brisbane - Queensland Museum, p100.
- 4. Myrmeleon
pictifrons
- Australian Faunal Directory, Australian Biological
Resources Study.
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[ Up ] [ Family Mantispidae ] [ Family Chrysopidae ] [ Family Nymphidae ] [ Family Myrmeleontidae ] [ Family Ascalaphidae ]
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