'' Glenoleon pulchellus'' is an insect in the order

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 th ...

. It is the most common ant lion in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The adult is a weak flyer, though it is well camouflaged at rest. Wings are held to the side of the body. The antennae are somewhat club shaped at the tips, wings are mottled with brown patches. The

larval 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 l ...

form is an ambush predator. Eggs are laid in the earth, often in caves or under a rocky ledge. The juvenile creates a small crater shaped trap. The ant lion hides under a light cover of sand or earth. When an ant slides into the trap, the larval ant lion grabs the prey with its powerful jaws. The larvae spins a silken cocoon and pupates in the dry soil, later to emerge as an adult.Australian Insects - John Child, page 62. Library of Congress Catalog Card 6822996

References

Myrmeleontidae Insects of Australia Taxa named by Jules Pierre Rambur Insects described in 1842 {{Antlion-stub