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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Antlions, Lacewings, and Allies (Neuroptera) » Antlions and Allies (Myrmeleontiformia) » Antlions & Owlflies (Myrmeleontidae)

Family Myrmeleontidae - Antlions & Owlflies

Classification · Other Common Names · Pronunciation · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Food · Remarks · See Also · Works Cited

Ascaloptynx appendiculata ??? - Ululodes quadripunctatus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Neuroptera (Antlions, Lacewings, and Allies)

Suborder Myrmeleontiformia (Antlions and Allies)

Family Myrmeleontidae (Antlions & Owlflies)

Other Common Names

Doodlebugs (larvae, esp. Myrmeleon)

Pronunciation

meer-mih-lee-ON-tih-dee in American English

meer-meh-leh-ON-tee-die in Classical Latin

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Machado et al. (2018) published an updated phylogeny and classification.(1)

Explanation of Names

Myrmeleontidae Latreille 1802

From the Greek μύρμηξ (myrmex) 'ant' + λέων (léōn) 'lion'(2) + New Latin -idae (taxonomic family suffix)

Numbers

~100 spp. in 22 genera in our area(3)(4), ~2140 spp. in 299 genera total(1)

Family Myrmeleontidae

Subfamily Ascalaphinae

Tribe Haplogleniini

Genus Ascaloptynx (1 sp.)

Genus Haploglenius (1 sp.)

Tribe Ululodini

Genus Ululodes (7 spp.)

Subfamily Dendroleontinae

Tribe Dendroleontini

Genus Dendroleon (2 spp.)

Subfamily Myrmeleontinae

Tribe Acanthaclisini

Genus Paranthaclisis (4 spp.)

Genus Vella (3 spp.)

Tribe Brachynemurini

Genus Atricholeon (1 sp.)

Genus Brachynemurus (20 spp.)

Genus Chaetoleon (3 spp.)

Genus Clathroneuria (5 spp.)

Genus Gnopholeon (2 spp.)

Genus Menkeleon (1 sp.)

Genus Mexoleon (1 sp.)

Genus Peruveleon (2 spp.)

Genus Scotoleon (20 spp.)

Genus Tyttholeon (1 spp.)

Tribe Myrmeleontini

Genus Myrmeleon (12 spp.)

Subfamily Nemoleontinae

Tribe Glenurini

Genus Eremoleon (8 spp.)

Genus Euptilon (5 spp.)

Genus Glenurus (3 spp.)

Genus Purenleon (6 spp.)

Size

adult body 40‒80 mm

Identification

Most of the typical antlions have antennae that are fairly short (about the length of the head and thorax combined) and either clubbed or curved (somewhat like a field hockey stick).

Owlflies are a specialized group with longer, strongly clubbed antennae and bulging eyes.

keys in (5)

Food

Larvae are voracious predators that lie in wait for their insect prey, though different genera have different modes of predation. Myrmeleon spp. (often known as "doodlebugs") are most frequently noticed and are the only genus in our area to dig a shallow, funnel-shaped pit in loose sand to trap prey. Members of some other genera such as Glenurus and Dendroleon aren't even found in the sand and instead live in tree holes as ambush predators.(6)

Remarks

adults mostly nocturnal or crepuscular and may come to lights

See Also

Dobsonflies have tapered antennae, bigger heads and jaws

Fishflies have serrate or pectinate antennae

Works Cited

1.	Owlflies are derived antlions: anchored phylogenomics supports a new phylogeny and classification of Myrmeleontidae (Neuroptera) Machado R.J.P., Gillung J.P., Winterton S.L., Garzón-Orduña I.J., Lemmon A.R., Lemmon E.M., Oswald J.D. 2018. Sys. Entomol. 44: 418–450.

2.	The Century Dictionary: an encyclopedic lexicon of the English language

3.	Species catalog of the Neuroptera, Megaloptera, and Raphidioptera of America North of Mexico Penny N.D., Adams P.A., Stange L.A. 1997. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 50: 39‒114.

4.	Antlions of Hispaniola (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) R.B. Miller, L.A. Stange. 2011. Insecta Mundi 0182: 1-28.

5.	Revision of the Nearctic Myrmeleonidae Nathan Banks. 1927. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 68, No. 1: 1-84.

6.	The ant-lions of Florida. II. Genera based on larvae (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) Lionel A. Stange. 1980. Entomology Circular No. 221.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Hannah Nendick-Mason, john and jane balaban, Robin McLeod, Aaron Schusteff, v belov, Edward Ruden, Marci Hess, Robert H. Biagi, PaleoJon
Last updated 8 July, 2024 - 11:16pm

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