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Myrmeleon obscurus

Posted on by Ryan Tippett

View the above photo record (by Garth Aiston) in LacewingMAP here.

Myrmeleon obscurus

(Rambur, 1842)

Identification

Size: Small (Wingspan around 44mm)

Myrmeleon obscurus has a distinctive abdomen pattern and plain, unmarked wings.

Myrmeleon obscurus – Bushmanskloof, Western Cape
Photo by Zenobia van Dyk
Myrmeleon obscurus – Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal
Photo by Richard Johnstone

Larvae: The larvae are small with relatively slender heads.

Myrmeleon obscurus – Near Komatipoort, Mpumalanga
Photo by Alan Manson

Habitat

M. obscurus inhabits a very wide range of habitat types and has been recorded from all terrestrial biomes in South Africa.

Behaviour

Adults are most active during the summer months from October to April, but have been recorded throughout the year in the warmer parts of South Africa.

Frequently attracted to lights.

Members of the genus Myrmeleon are considered to be the most primitive antlions.

Myrmeleon obscurus – Mating pair – Near Carnarvon, Northern Cape
Photo by Ryan Tippett

The larvae walk backwards and are pit-builders. Their pits are the most frequently encountered of all Myrmeleon species and occur in a variety of situations – even city pavements where there are sand pockets.

Myrmeleon obscurus – Boknesstrand, Eastern Cape
Photo by Zenobia van Dyk

Status and Distribution

Myrmeleon obscurus is common and very widespread. It occurs over most of southern and eastern Africa. It is also found on the islands of Mauritius and Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.

Distribution of Myrmeleon obscurus. Taken from the LacewingMAP database, July 2022.

Taxonomy

Order: Neuroptera Family: Myrmeleontidae Subfamily: Myrmeleontinae Tribe: Myrmeleontini (Pit-trapping Antlions) Genus: Myrmeleon Species: obscurus

Myrmeleon obscurus – Bushmanskloof, Western Cape
Photo by Zenobia van Dyk

Further Resources

Virtual Museum (LacewingMAP > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name)

Acknowledgements:

The use of photographs by Alan Manson, Garth Aiston, Richard Johnstone and Zenobia van Dyk is acknowledged. This species text has benefited enormously from comments made by Mervyn Mansell on records he has identified in LacewingMAP. We acknowledge his important contribution.

Recommended citation format for this species text:

Tippett RM 2022. Myrmeleon obscurus. Biodiversity and Development Institute, Cape Town.
Available online at http://thebdi.org/2022/08/03/myrmeleon-obscurus/

Myrmeleon obscurus – Bushmanskloof, Western Cape
Photo by Zenobia van Dyk
Ryan Tippett
Ryan Tippett
Ryan is an enthusiastic contributor to Citizen Science and has added many important and interesting records of fauna and flora. He has been a member of the Virtual Museum since 2014 and has currently submitted over 12,000 records. He is on the expert identification panel for the OdonataMAP project. Ryan is a well-qualified and experienced Field Guide, and Guide Training Instructor. He has spent the last 18 years in the guiding and tourism industries. Ryan loves imparting his passion and knowledge onto others, and it is this that drew him into guide training in particular. Something that he finds incredibly rewarding is seeing how people he's had the privilege of teaching have developed and gone on to greater things. His interests are diverse and include Dragonflies, Birding, Arachnids, Amphibians, wild flowers and succulents, free diving and experiencing big game on foot. With this range of interests, there is always likely be something special just around the corner!