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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
Photo thank to Trevor Jinks
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- Antlion is the common name given to the larvae of some
species (genera Myrmeleon, Callistoleon and closely related genera) 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 loose sands. When an ant or other small
insects 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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- Eggs are laid singly and being scattered in dry soil.
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- Adults have short antenna which thicken towards the tips, ocelli
absent. They are medium
to large size with long wings. Most of them are predator although some feed on
pollen. Myrmeleontidae is the largest Lacewings family
in Australia.
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- Common Brown Antlion
 - Myrmeleon
pictifrons, subfamily Myrmeleontinae, Myrmeleontini, adult, body length
40mm
- Pictures taken
near Bulimba Creek in Wishart during late summer. Their larvae are true Antlions, build sand traps on ground. More
pictures and information can be found in this page.
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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 of them 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 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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- Slender
Brown Antlion
 - ?
Froggattisca tipularia, subfamily Myrmeleontinae, Dendroleontini, 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. More pictures and information
please click on here.
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- Angular-wing
Antlion
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- Periclystus circuiter, subfamily
Myrmeleontinae, Dendroleontini, adult, body length 40mm
- This lacewing has wings in irregular shape with dark brown
spot patterns. The patterns becomes purplish black under the sun. It is easy to distinguish this lacewing by its wings.
its abdomen is dark brown in colour with two white rings and orange tip. We
have more information and pictures in this page.
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- Brown
Line Antlion
 - Austrogymnocnemia
sp., subfamily
Myrmeleontinae, Dendroleontini, adult, body length 40mm
- This lacewing has
a thin brown line on front wings. It is easy to distinguish this lacewing by its wings. As most other lacewing species, this lacewing flies
clumsily and slowly, just about the ground. It rather finds a stick or stem to rest on and does the
camouflage. Please check this page for more
information.
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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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- Black Lacewing
 - Stilbopteryx walkeri, subfamily Stilbopteryginae, body length 35mm
- Black Lacewing are large in size, with dark brown to black
colour body. They are the good flyer comparing with the other Lacewings
species. When we chasing this Black Lacewing, it always flied a short
distance, about a few meter, and rested on dead tree and dry stem close to the
ground. We have more information and pictures 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. A
revision of the Australian Myrmeleontidae (Insecta: Neuroptera). I.
New, T.R. (1985) Introduction, Myrmeleontini, Protoplectrini. Aust. J.
Zool. Suppl. 104: 1-90
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[ Up ] [ Family Osmylidae ] [ Family Mantispidae ] [ Family Hemerobiidae - Brown Lacewings ] [ Family Chrysopidae ] [ Family Nymphidae ] [ Family Myrmeleontidae ] [ Family Ascalaphidae ]
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