Libelloides coccajus
| Libelloides coccajus | |
|---|---|
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| Libelloides coccajus, female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Hexapoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Neuroptera |
| Suborder: | Myrmeleontiformia |
| Family: | Ascalaphidae |
| Subfamily: | Ascalaphinae |
| Genus: | Libelloides |
| Species: | L. coccajus |
| Binomial name | |
| Libelloides coccajus (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Libelloides coccajus, the "owly sulphur", is an owlfly species belonging to the family Ascalaphidae, subfamily Ascalaphinae.
This rare insect is present in France, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.
The adults reach 25 millimetres (0.98 in) of length, with a wingspan of 45–55 millimetres (1.8–2.2 in) and can be encountered from April through July in areas with tall grass.
The body is black and quite hairy. The eyes are large and bulging; the antennae are long and clubbed. The wings do not have scales and are partly transparent, bright yellow in the first third, dark brown on the external side. The wings are held spread at rest, as in dragonflies.
The adults are diurnal predators of other flying insects. Eggs are laid in groups on stems of herbaceous plants. Larvae are fearsome predators too. They lie on the soil surface waiting for prey. They live for about two years.
