Common Brown Antlion (4221176715)

Description:

Summary[edit] Description: Wikipedia tells us: "Myrmeleon pictifrons is a species of insect known commonly as ant-lion or doodlebug. Myrmeleon pictifrons is native to the Australasian region and one of over 200 species of ant-lion recorded globally. There are only two species of ant-lion currently documented that are unique to the Australasian region. Myrmeleon pictifrons is found across the entire Australasian region whereas the second, Glenoleon banksi New is found only on the Australian continent." Further research on 29 Dec 2009: The Australian Faunal Directory "Myrmeleontidae, or antlions are by far the most diverse family of Neuroptera in Australia, and many species remain to be described. Most are found in the dryer regions of the continent, where the ground-dwelling larvae occur in litter and sand, with some (Myrmeleon Linnaeus, 1767 and its allies) forming the well-known conical pits associated with the family. Three subfamilies are represented in Australia. The largest of these is Myrmeleontinae, with four tribes represented: Myrmeleontini, Protoplectrini, Dendroleontini (the most diverse) and Distoleontini, and, although all the tribes occur elsewhere, many of the genera in Australia are endemic. Acanthaclisinae comprise mainly large, hairy taxa, among them Australia's largest antlion (Heoclisis fulva (Esben-Petersen, 1912), with fore wing length up to about 75 mm). Stilbopteryginae, formerly given family status (as Stilbopterygidae, including also the South American Albardia Weele, 1903), includes two endemic genera of large species (Riek 1976, New 1982). Higher classification of the family is discussed by Markl (1954), Stange (1976 ) and Hölzel (1972), amongst others, and the Australian taxa were revised by New (1985a, 1985b, 1985c).". Date: 26 December 2009, 16:30. Source: Common Brown Antlion. Author: Jean and Fred from Perth, Australia.