Knowledgebase

Unknown insect #804819

Asked August 05, 2022, 2:21 PM EDT

Anybody know what this insect is? Our grandsons (6 and 8 yrs old) are budding entomologists.

Frederick County Maryland

Expert Response

Forgot to state that it is 1.5", 4 cm long.
The Question Asker Replied August 05, 2022, 2:28 PM EDT
Nice find! These are not commonly encountered. This looks like a looks like Spotted-winged Antlion (Dendroleon obsoletus), a native insect found throughout Maryland. The link on that gallery page to the BugGuide database entry provides a few details about their life cycle.

Miri
Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied August 08, 2022, 11:11 AM EDT
Thanks!
On Mon, Aug 8, 2022 at 11:11 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
The Question Asker Replied August 08, 2022, 2:27 PM EDT
I see that this species prefers to live in holes in trees or logs. Nevertheless, we have a lot of these antlion-made traps under our porch stairs.
PXL_20220808_184827279.jpg
The Question Asker Replied August 08, 2022, 3:04 PM EDT
Neat! You probably have good habitat for several species of antlion, then.

Miri
Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied August 08, 2022, 3:14 PM EDT

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