About Glenoleon pulchellus (Rambur, 1842)
Glenoleon pulchellus is an insect belonging to the order Neuroptera, and it is the most common ant lion species found in Australia. Adult Glenoleon pulchellus are weak fliers, but they have excellent camouflage when at rest. Adults hold their wings along the sides of their body. Their antennae have a somewhat club-like shape at the tip, and their wings are patterned with mottled brown patches. The larval stage of this species is an ambush predator. Females lay eggs in soil, often inside caves or under rocky ledges. The juvenile larva constructs a small, crater-shaped trap. The ant lion larva hides beneath a thin layer of sand or soil. When an ant slides into the constructed trap, the larva grabs the prey using its powerful jaws. Before maturing into an adult, larvae spin a silken cocoon and pupate inside dry soil, and eventually emerge as adult insects.
