''Libelloides longicornis'', common name black yellow owlfly, is an owlfly species belonging to the family

Ascalaphidae Ascalaphidae is a family of insects in the order Neuroptera, commonly called owlflies; there are some 450 extant species. They are fast-flying crepuscular or diurnal predators of other flying insects, and have large bulging eyes and strongly kn ...

, subfamily

Ascalaphinae Ascalaphini is the type subfamily of the neuropteran owlfly family. Most species are found in the tropics. Their characteristic apomorphy , shared with the Ululodini, is the ridge which divides each of their large compound eyes; both groups are ...

Distribution and habitat

This species is present in South Western Europe (

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, In recognized minority languages of Portugal: :* mwl, República Pertuesa is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula, in Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Macaronesian ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

and Switzerland). These insects mainly occur in the sunny meadows at rather high elevation.

Description

''Libelloides longicornis'' can reach a length of and a

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan ...

of . The body of these large owlflies is black, quite hairy, with some yellow markings. Also the head is black, with large compound eyes. The long sturdy black antennae are clubbed. The wings do not have scales, are partly transparent and show a network of translucent lemon yellow ribs. In the fore wings appears a small basal dark spot reaching the base of the wings. The hind wings have a characteristic squared dark area towards the apex and a dark triangular sickle-shaped spot pointing to the wing tip.Heiko Bellmann: Der Neue Kosmos Insektenführer, S. 134, Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 1999, The wings are usually held spread in sunny areas, as in

dragonflies A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threaten ...

, but when they are at rest they fold their roof-shaped wings over their abdomen. This species is rather similar to ''

Libelloides coccajus ''Libelloides coccajus'', the "owly sulphur", is an owlfly species belonging to the family Ascalaphidae, subfamily Ascalaphinae. Distribution This rare insect is present in France, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. Habita ...

'', but in ''Libelloides longicornis'' the basal black area of the hind wings does not reach the anal angle.

Biology

Adults can be encountered from June through August. They are diurnal

predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...

s of other small flying insects. Usually they fly between 2 meters and 3 meters high to catch their prey, preferably hunted under bright light conditions. The mating usually takes place in the late morning or at noon, when these insects are warmed by the sun. The male grabs after a short fight the female with the pincers located at the top of the abdomen. The females then lay their white eggs on stems of herbaceous plants in closely spaced double rows. Larvae resemble those of

antlion The antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the neuropteran family Myrmeleontidae. They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which mostly dig pits to trap passing ants or other prey. In North America, the larva ...

s, but they do not dig cavities in the ground.D. Badano & R.A. Pantaleoni, The larvae of European Ascalaphidae (Neuroptera)

Bibliography

*Aistleitner, E. (1981) Eine neue Unterart von Libelloides longicornis (L.) aus den Südostalpen (Neuropteroidea, Planipennia, Ascalaphidae)., Entomofauna 2:191-202. *Heiko Bellmann: Der Neue Kosmos Insektenführer, S. 134, Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 1999, *Michael Chinery, Parey's book of insects. A field guide of European insects - Stuttgart 2004, . *Monserrat, V. J. (1977) Una nueva variedad de Ascalaphus longicornis L. en el sureste de España (Neuropt. Ascalaphidae)., Graellsia 31:187-192. *Oswald J.D., LDL Neuropterida Species of the World.

References

External links

Galerie Insecte

Nature Guide

Neurotteri
{{Taxonbar, from=Q839653 Neuroptera of Europe Ascalaphidae Insects described in 1763 Taxa named by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli Libelloides