Geographic Range
Glenurus gratus
can be found in many regions of the United States including Florida, Indiana, Kentucky,
Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The biogeographic
region of
Glenurus gratus
is in the Neartic Region.
Habitat
This species of antlion has many different habitats, ranging from sandy areas such
as dunes to hollowed out trees or on forest floors. Many of them can be found under
hedges and in dark shady areas.
- Habitat Regions
- temperate
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- desert or dune
- forest
Physical Description
The larvae of
Glenurus gratus
has a mass of approximately 2.19 milligrams (mg) and can stretch up to 36 millimeters
(mm) in length. Their mandibles are approximately 1 mm in width and they use these
mandibles to trap their prey. The ends of the mandibles have suction tubes on them
to make sure that their prey doesn’t get away. The adult
G. gratus
has a wing span of approximately 94 mm and a body length of approximately 61 mm.
- Other Physical Features
- ectothermic
- heterothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- sexes alike
Development
Larvae can live up to approximately two years with the proper food and habitat. After
the larval stage it creates a cocoon that can measure up to 13 mm in diameter. The
process from larvae to adult can take up to 28 days. As an adult,
Glenurus gratus
grows wings and is similar to the body shape of a dragon fly and its wing span is
approximately 94 mm.
- Development - Life Cycle
- metamorphosis
Reproduction
The eggs of
G. gratus
are buried in the sand and then hatch as larvae.
After fertilization, the eggs hatch, emerging from the sand as larvae.
- Key Reproductive Features
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- oviparous
No information was found regarding parental investment in this species.
Lifespan/Longevity
The larvae can live up to approximately two years with the proper food and habitat.
Not much is known about overall longevity in antlions, but few live more than 2 years.
Behavior
Mainly this species is found in tree holes. The larvae of
Glenurus gratus
lie and wait for prey in the hollows of trees. Adults are seen flying through forests.
Communication and Perception
No types of communication are specifically known for Glenurus gratus , but it's likely that they utilize chemical and tactile communication.
Food Habits
Glenurus gratus
has a very specific food habit. Their diet is mostly made up of ants and other small
insects similar to ants. They capture the ant by making a pit in the sand that is
approximately 15 millimeters in diameter. When an ant comes by and falls in the pit,
the antlion takes its pincers and captures the ant. Then it uses a stinger in its
pincers to poison the ant and paralyze it. Antlions eat approximately 22 ants per
day.
- Primary Diet
- carnivore
- Animal Foods
- insects
Predation
Some known predators of
Glenurus gratus
are the red-tailed hawk, the green frog, the whooping crane and the ground squirrel.
The larvae of
G. gratus
camouflages itself by its cone shape trap.
- Anti-predator Adaptations
- cryptic
Ecosystem Roles
Glenurus gratus
are predators and feed on caterpillars, aphids, ants and other insect larvae.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
The larvae of
Glenurus gratus
trap and eat ants, which can be a pest to humans.
- Positive Impacts
- controls pest population
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There is no known negative impact on the economic importance for humans besides the
fact that
Glenurus gratus
can bite the skin of a human which is mildly uncomfortable.
- Negative Impacts
-
injures humans
- bites or stings
Conservation Status
Glenurus gratus does not have any special status for conservation.
Additional Links
Contributors
Chris Froehlich (author), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Christopher Yahnke (editor), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Renee Mulcrone (editor), Special Projects.
- Nearctic
-
living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- temperate
-
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- desert or dunes
-
in deserts low (less than 30 cm per year) and unpredictable rainfall results in landscapes dominated by plants and animals adapted to aridity. Vegetation is typically sparse, though spectacular blooms may occur following rain. Deserts can be cold or warm and daily temperates typically fluctuate. In dune areas vegetation is also sparse and conditions are dry. This is because sand does not hold water well so little is available to plants. In dunes near seas and oceans this is compounded by the influence of salt in the air and soil. Salt limits the ability of plants to take up water through their roots.
- forest
-
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
- ectothermic
-
animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature
- heterothermic
-
having a body temperature that fluctuates with that of the immediate environment; having no mechanism or a poorly developed mechanism for regulating internal body temperature.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- metamorphosis
-
A large change in the shape or structure of an animal that happens as the animal grows. In insects, "incomplete metamorphosis" is when young animals are similar to adults and change gradually into the adult form, and "complete metamorphosis" is when there is a profound change between larval and adult forms. Butterflies have complete metamorphosis, grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis.
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- internal fertilization
-
fertilization takes place within the female's body
- oviparous
-
reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.
- arboreal
-
Referring to an animal that lives in trees; tree-climbing.
- fossorial
-
Referring to a burrowing life-style or behavior, specialized for digging or burrowing.
- diurnal
-
- active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- social
-
associates with others of its species; forms social groups.
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- cryptic
-
having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect.
- carnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats meat
- insectivore
-
An animal that eats mainly insects or spiders.
References
Coin, P., T. DiTerlizzi, V. Belov. 2010. "Species Glenurus gratus " (On-line). Bugguide.com. Accessed July 11, 2011 at http://bugguide.net/node/view/26625 .
Miller, R., L. Stange. 2009. "An antlion, Glenurus gratus (Say) (Insecta: Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae)" (On-line). Accessed July 11, 2011 at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in708 .
Ragland, E. 2010. "Nature's pitfall machine: antlions" (On-line). Accessed July 07, 2011 at http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2010/ragland_evan/ant_lion_life_references.html .
Stange, L. 2000. Observations of the biology of the antlion genus Glenerus Hagen. Florida State Collection of Arthropods , 14/4: 228.
Stange, L., R. Miller. 2006. "An antlion, Glenurus gratus " (On-line). Feature Creatures. Accessed July 11, 2011 at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/neuroptera/Glenurus_gratus.htm .
Stange, L. 1980. The Ant-Lions of Florida. The Ant-Lions of Florida , 221: 1.