Family: Myrmeleontidae
Subfamily: Myrmeleontinae
Length: typically around 40 mm
The pit-building Antlions, genus Myrmeleon, prefer dry conditions so that their pits aren’t readily flooded. For this reason, they often locate their pits under rock overhangs or other natural protection. At a friend’s farm near Sago, the antlions use the dirt floor of the barn for their pitfalls.
Note: although we have observed Myrmeleon in West Virginia, the photos on this page were taken in other eastern states.
Insects of West Virginia