The greatest diversity occurs in the tropics, but a few species are found in cold- temperate locations, one such being the European Euroleon nostras. In North America, the larvae are sometimes referred to as doodlebugs because of the strange marks they leave in the sand.Īntlions have a worldwide distribution. Adults mostly fly at dusk or after dark, and may be mistakenly identified as dragonflies or damselflies they are sometimes known as antlion lacewings. The adult insects are less well known, due to their relatively short lifespans compared to the larvae.
The antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the neuropteran family Myrmeleontidae, known for the fiercely predatory habits of their larvae, which in many species dig pits to trap passing ants or other prey.
