|
Antlions
The antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the neuropteran family Myrmeleontidae. They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which mostly dig pits to trap passing ants or other prey. In North America, the larvae are sometimes referred to as doodlebugs because of the marks they leave in the sand. The adult insects are less well known due to their relatively short lifespans compared to the larvae. Adults, sometimes known as antlion lacewings, mostly fly at dusk or after dark and may be mistakenly identified as dragonflies or damselflies. Antlions have a worldwide distribution. The greatest diversity occurs in the tropics, but a few species are found in cold-temperate locations, one such being the European ''Euroleon nostras''. They most commonly occur in dry and sandy habitats where the larvae can easily excavate their pits, but some larvae hide under debris or ambush their prey among leaf litter. Antlions are poorly represented in the fossil re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Owlfly
Ascalaphidae is a family of insects in the order Neuroptera, commonly called owlflies; there are some 450 extant species. They are fast-flying crepuscular or diurnal predators of other flying insects, and have large bulging eyes and strongly knobbed antennae. The larvae are ambush predators; some of them make use of self-decoration camouflage. Description Owlflies are readily distinguished from the superficially similar dragonflies by their long, clubbed antennae; dragonflies have short, bristle-like antennae. The closely related antlions (family Myrmeleontidae) have short, weakly clubbed antennae, smaller eyes, and reticulate wing venation. All but one species of Ascalaphidae have long antennae, easily distinguishing them. The sole exception is the Brazilian '' Albardia furcata'', the only living member of the subfamily Albardiinae, which has short antennae, but these are strongly clubbed (compared to myrmeleontids), and its wing venation is reticulate, typical of ascalaph ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Myrmeleontiformia
Myrmeleontiformia is an insect clade in the order Neuroptera, and which was historically treated as a suborder. The phylogeny of the Neuroptera has been explored using mitochondrial DNA sequences, and while issues remain for the order as a whole, such as "Hemerobiiformia" being paraphyletic, Myrmeleontiformia is generally agreed to be monophyletic, with one study giving the following cladogram: Superfamilies and families Clade Myrmeleontiformia * Superfamily Myrmeleontoidea (syn Nemopteroidea) ** Family Ascalaphidae: owlflies (possibly in Myrmeleontoidea) ** Family †Babinskaiidae ** Family Myrmeleontidae: antlions (includes Palaeoleontidae) ** Family Nemopteridae: spoonwings etc (formerly in Myrmeleontoidea) ** Family Nymphidae: split-footed lacewings (includes Myiodactylidae) ** Family † Rafaelianidae * Superfamily Psychopsoidea ** Family † Aetheogrammatidae ** Family †Kalligrammatidae ** Family † Osmylopsychopidae ( syn †Brongniartiellidae) ** Family † Panf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neuroptera
The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera can be grouped together with the Megaloptera and Raphidioptera in the unranked taxon Neuropterida (once known as Planipennia) including: alderflies, fishflies, dobsonflies, and snakeflies. Adult Neuropterans have four membranous wings, all about the same size, with many veins. They have chewing mouthparts, and undergo complete metamorphosis. Neuropterans first appeared during the Permian period, and continued to diversify through the Mesozoic era. During this time, several unusually large forms evolved, especially in the extinct family Kalligrammatidae, often called "the butterflies of the Jurassic" for their large, patterned wings. Anatomy and biology Neuropterans are soft-bodied insects with relatively few specialized features. They have large lateral compound eyes, and may or may not also have oce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Myrmecaelurinae
Myrmecaelurinae is a subfamily of Myrmeleontidae The antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the neuropteran family Myrmeleontidae. They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which mostly dig pits to trap passing ants or other prey. In North America, the larvae ..., the antlions. References External links Myrmeleontidae Insect subfamilies {{Antlion-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acanthaclisinae
Acanthaclisinae is a subfamily of Myrmeleontidae, the antlions. It comprises a single tribe, Acanthaclisini Acanthaclisini is a tribe in the antlion subfamily Acanthaclisinae. The larvae of most species live in open tracts of fairly deep sand, and do not construct pitfall traps. They burrow beneath the surface of the sand which needs to be deep eno ..., which has about 221 species in 16 genera. References External links * * Myrmeleontidae Insect subfamilies {{Antlion-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dendroleontinae
Dendroleontinae is a subfamily of Myrmeleontidae The antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the neuropteran family Myrmeleontidae. They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which mostly dig pits to trap passing ants or other prey. In North America, the larvae ..., the antlions. References External links Myrmeleontidae Insect subfamilies {{Antlion-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Myrmeleontoidea
Myrmeleontoidea is a neuropteran superfamily in the clade Myrmeleontiformia. Engel, Winteron, and Breitkreuz (2018) included the following families: Superfamily Myrmeleontoidea (syn Nemopteroidea) * Family Ascalaphidae: owlflies (possibly in Myrmeleontoidea) * Family †Babinskaiidae * Family Myrmeleontidae: antlions (includes Palaeoleontidae; possibly in Ascalaphidae) * Family Nemopteridae: spoonwings etc * Family Nymphidae Nymphidae, sometimes called split-footed lacewings, are a family of winged insects of the order Neuroptera. There are 35 extant species native to Australia and New Guinea. Nymphidae stand somewhat apart from other living Myrmeleontoidea. The ...: split-footed lacewings (including Myiodactylidae) * Family † Rafaelianidae References Insect superfamilies {{Neuroptera-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Myrmeleontinae
Myrmeleontinae is a subfamily of Myrmeleontidae The antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the neuropteran family Myrmeleontidae. They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which mostly dig pits to trap passing ants or other prey. In North America, the larvae ..., the antlions. References External links Insect subfamilies {{antlion-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Damselfly
Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, but are smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the wings along the body when at rest, unlike dragonflies which hold the wings flat and away from the body. An ancient group, damselflies have existed since at least the Lower Permian, and are found on every continent except Antarctica. All damselflies are predatory insects; both nymphs and adults actively hunt and eat other insects. The nymphs are aquatic, with different species living in a variety of freshwater habitats including acidic bogs, ponds, lakes and rivers. The nymphs moult repeatedly, at the last moult climbing out of the water to undergo metamorphosis. The skin splits down the back, they emerge and inflate their wings and abdomen to gain their adult form. Their presence on a body of water indicates that it is relatively unpolluted, but the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Predation
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the host) and parasitoidism (which always does, eventually). It is distinct from scavenging on dead prey, though many predators also scavenge; it overlaps with herbivory, as seed predators and destructive frugivores are predators. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often concealed. When prey is detected, the predator assesses whether to attack it. This may involve ambush or pursuit predation, sometimes after stalking the prey. If the attack is successful, the predator kills the prey, removes any inedible parts like the shell or spines, and eats it. Predators are adapted and often highly specialized for hunting, with acute senses such as vision, hearing, or smell. Many predatory animals, both vertebrate and inv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The larva's appearance is generally very different from the adult form (''e.g.'' caterpillars and butterflies) including different unique structures and organs that do not occur in the adult form. Their diet may also be considerably different. Larvae are frequently adapted to different environments than adults. For example, some larvae such as tadpoles live almost exclusively in aquatic environments, but can live outside water as adult frogs. By living in a distinct environment, larvae may be given shelter from predators and reduce competition for resources with the adult population. Animals in the larval stage will consume food to fuel their transition into the adult form. In some organisms like polychaetes and barnacles, adults are immobil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dragonfly
A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations around the world. Adult dragonflies are characterized by a pair of large, multifaceted compound eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the closely related damselflies, which make up the other odonatan infraorder ( Zygoptera) and are similar in body plan though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold their wings folded at rest, along or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_with_its_prey.jpg "Click for more on -> Predation")
