ant lion ordinary - it's an amazing creation, the existence of which is written a lot of books and scientific papers.Judge for yourself which of the insect larva fails to conduct a more active and busy life than adults?Thanks to its ingenious larva of these insects have received such an unusual name.Want to know more?Then read this article.
How does the ant lion?
Insects of the family ant lions belong to the order Neuroptera.This is a fairly large graceful creatures with a long (2-7.5 cm) body and two pairs of transparent wings mesh, the scope of which reaches 55-80 mm.Despite some similarities, antlions easily distinguished from the dragonflies on long antennae and a slow manner zigzaobraznoy flight.In addition, these insects are able to as moths, put wings on his back.Males than females greater value width of the wings and some other features.The head of this family set vertically.Club-shaped antennae insect slightly thicken the end or head end.The larva of the ant lion resembles tick.It is wingless, has a teardrop shape and endowed with large crescent and serrated jaws, which give it a ruthless predator.The head of the larva is flat, antennae are not visible on it.
inhabited ant lion?
Approximately 2,500 species of ant has a family of lions.Most of them prefer the heat, so it is found mainly in the edges of the tropical and subtropical climate.In the post-Soviet space these insects can be found in the Crimea, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
in Russia ant lions are found in the Leningrad region.They are most often found on the coasts of the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga, live in the precincts of St. Petersburg.These insects prefer to live near members of a closely related species, in open sandy areas with warm climates.Also ant lions live in the steppe zones in the south of Russia.
Why ant lion is the name?
From the description of the exterior of lacewing creatures hard to understand why they got such a strange name.Indeed, where does the "lion", the more "ant"?It turns out that its name members of this family are obliged to habits of their larvae.If the adult ant lions - graceful and harmless creatures, they are threatening the larvae are an example of deceit and predatory inclinations.The whole life of ant lions in the first two or three years of existence, is aimed at growth and development, so the larvae of these creatures arrange a merciless hunt for other small insects, luring them into a trap, and drink their vital juices.Since the extraction of the larvae are most often the ants, who once got into a trap, can no longer get out of the powerful mandibles voracious predator lacewing insect called "ant lion."
Hunting "lion" ants
on the roadside or sandy beaches you can see the craters with a diameter of 5-15 cm.This depression - home and Lovcen pit ant lion.The larvae of these creatures choose a home away from rain and wind, sunny and dry places to sand the edges of the funnel is easy to crumble under the weight of other insects.Cougar dig their homes with the help of vigorous cuts the end of the abdomen, and falling on top of a grain of sand dumped sharp strokes of the head.Interestingly, the size of the crater depends on digs appetite larvae.When finished, these unique creatures burrow deep into the sand so that sticking out only their powerful jaws.Once running through the ant begins to slide into the prepared hole, the larva leaves the shelter.If the victim is trying to get out, ant-lion begins to throw sand in it until the insect will not appear on the bottom of the prepared traps.Then the larva plunges him his huge jaws.Prey ant lion may be other insects, sometimes far exceeding its size.But the sharp jaw larvae dig into the victim tightly and aimed forward predator bristles on the body, like an anchor to cling to the ground.Gets into a deadly trap destined to become a victim of food clever hunter.
digestion of food
Why the caught insects on the bottom of the pit for a long time does not resist?It turns out that the jaw larvae are equipped with special grooves, which contain a toxic digestive juice.Vsprysnuty in the victim's body, he at first paralyzed her, and then begins to digest its innards.Fabrics killed the insect gradually become liquid, and the larva ant lion just drink them, throwing out useless chitin shell.This process is called external digestion.Surprisingly, it does not give off the larva excrement, her back and midgut not communicate with each other.Only the adult insects are able to remove the products from the intestines of food decay that has accumulated there over the previous years of existence.
Create cocoon
ant lion - an insect, the larvae of which eventually turns into a winged creature resembling a dragonfly.This process takes a lot of time.The larva of the ant lion for the period of its existence the winter time to double.For this, she digs deep into the sand and falls asleep.
the third year of the larva turns into a pupa.For this, she holds the thin silky strands separate grains of sand, surrounding himself with thick crib.Interestingly, the process of creating a cocoon of these insects is different from the creation of such structures in other creatures.If the caterpillars and larvae of sawyers used to create webs spinning glands, the thread by predatory ant lion larva - the result of secretions Malpighian vessels located in the hindgut of the insect.
adult life
second half of the summer - a time when the ant lion, big and clumsy, finally selected from the cocoon.During the day he sat motionless in the thickets of foliage, and at night and in the evening slowly flies in the grass and trees.The ant lion eats into mature age?The adults of this family live just a few weeks, and almost nothing to eat.They exist by substances accumulated larva.Snacks adult ant lion sometimes gets pollen, but the main purpose of these creatures - reproduction.The females of the family lay their eggs in dry sand.After a while one, new ravenous larvae.
Security
Antlions need protection.According to research and observations of the scientist VAKrivokhatsky, nobody has been able to bring these unusual creatures in artificial conditions.A spread of ant lions in nature prevents human activity, which is actively developing their natural habitats.People are increasingly adapting sand dunes and beaches for their own housing and recreation.In the forests growing on sandy soils, there are fires that destroy members of the family of ant lions.Creating firebreaks in the pine forests growing on the sand, and the limitation of human activity in suitable for the existence of ant lions regions - the basic conditions for the preservation of this unique species of insects.Ant lion is included in the regional Red Data Book of Karelia, Tatarstan and the Tver region.
Antlions culture
the south of the United States there is a belief that the antlion larva can coax out of the hole special spell.The same legends were recorded among the peoples of Australia, China, Africa and the Caribbean.
early Christian didactic book "Physiologist" contains a description of the mythological lion ant.In the work published by the notion of Christian morality in accordance with the properties of the legendary animals.Ant lion described it as a hybrid of two incompatible things - and the ant lion.This mythological creation is doomed to death by starvation because of its hybrid physiology: he could not eat plants, like an ant, and eat meat like carnivorous lion.
Japanese art Kusudama "ant lion" - elegant spherical paper products.The name of this hack received, probably due to the poetic sound incongruous words.Art Kusudama reminiscent of origami, but is significantly different from a method of creating paper models.
ant lion at home
antlion can be kept at home.For this purpose the open container must pour a layer of sand height of about 5 cm. One insect requires a separate recess 8-10 cm in diameter.Feed the ant lions can be ants, crickets, and the fruit fly Drosophila.To live feed does not get outside the walls of the container is better lubricated with petroleum jelly.Once the larva turns into a pupa, it is better to cover the container fine mesh to ant lion fall and stick in the sand stick to the insect sitting on it until finally straightened wings.The next day, after leaving the cocoon of ant lion is better to release a container, otherwise it will die.Observing the habits of the animal will be interesting and informative not only for children but also for adults.
