Owlfly

Dragonfly Schmetterlingshaft ( Libelloides coccajus )

The gorgeous butterfly ( Ascalaphidae ) are a family of the order Neuroptera ( Neuroptera ). Worldwide, there are about 400 species, of which 15 are in Europe, Central Europe, there are three.

Features

The gorgeous butterfly are very closely related with the ants Virgin, many types see this also very similar. The most important difference is the long, threadlike sensors that carry a knob-like thickening at the end, as opposed to the shorter, club-shaped antennae of ants Virgin. Striking feature is the long, dense pubescence of the thorax. Many species, including the only native species, have broadened and bright, sometimes dark -spotted wings, which give them a butterfly -like appearance. The relatively large compound eyes are divided into two by a longitudinal furrow in all European species.

The larvae also resemble those of the ants Virgin, so the antlion. In contrast to this, the head at the rear end is indented deep, thus more or less heart-shaped, chest and abdomen are provided laterally with lobed attachments.

Way of life

The adults of butterfly Illustrative are diurnal and crepuscular and very good fliers. They feed on prey on insects, which they catch in flight. The larvae also are predators, mostly hidden and camouflaged lurking in leaf litter or under stones on prey. The European species probably all have a two-year development and overwinter as larvae.

Species ( Europe)

In Europe, the following species occur:

• Bubopsis agrionoides ( Rambur 1838)
• Bubopsis andromache U. Aspock, H. Aspock & Holzel 1979
• Deleproctophylla australis (Fabricius 1787)
• Deleproctophylla dusmeti Navàs 1914
• Deleproctophylla variegata ( Klug 1834)
• Libelloides baeticus ( Rambur 1842)
• Dragonfly Schmetterlingshaft ( Libelloides coccajus Denis & Schiffer Müller 1775)
• Libelloides cunii Selys - Longchamps 1880
• Libelloides hispanicus ( Rambur 1842)
• Libelloides ictericus ( Charpentier 1825) Libelloides ictericus corsicus ( Rambur 1842)
• Libelloides ictericus ictericus ( Charpentier 1825)
• Libelloides ictericus siculus ( Angelini 1827)

• Libelloides rhomboides cretensis (Van der Wheele 1908)
• Libelloides rhomboides rhomboides (Schneider 1845)