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Antlion

uncommon

Antlion

Myrmeleon formicarius

Habitat
Sandy dry areas across the Holarctic
Wingspan
75 mm
Order
Neuroptera · Myrmeleontidae

Weird but real

Larva digs a conical sand pit, buries itself at the bottom, and ambushes ants that slide in. Adult is a delicate dragonfly-like flier almost no one recognizes.

Why it's cool

Two completely different vibes from the same animal. Underground assassin grows up into translucent gossamer beauty. Insect Jekyll and Hyde.

Photographs

Mrówkolew pospolity
Jerzy Strzelecki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Myrmeleon formicarius
Gilles San Martin from Namur, Belgium · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source