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Myrmeleon formicarius
Rare insect larvae, digging sand traps so ants, small spiders and small woodlouse can't get out and is dragged under ground. The ant lion live as larvae for 2-3 years before reaching the imago stage and are very vulnerable for changes in their habitat. Ant lions are on the national redlist of norwegian species.
Sandy ground under pines or like this, under a sandroof, close to mixed forest
Third spotting of this insect since 2011
Spotted on Apr 18, 2015
Submitted on Jul 5, 2015
2 Comments
It's because their habitat have been altered in many areas of Norway due to foresting, and we humans use the same spots as they do on the beach so they almost went extinct from the Oslo-fjord because of everyone stepping on their pits making it harder for them to hunt when they continually had to work on their traps. There are two species of antlion in Norway and both of them are very rare, and the one indigenous to beaches only exist on certain small islands as far as I know atm.
Interesting info. I wonder why they'd be redlisted.