Hi Bugman.
I found this insect at a wildlife refuge in northwest Colorado. At first I thought it was a damsel fly, but when I got a better look it doesn’t appear to be that at all. It’s overall length was a little less than 2 inches, and there were several of them flying about and hiding in tall grass not far from a pond. An ID on this guy would really help me out. Thanks, Tom W.
Dear Tom,
It is an Antlion, Family Myrmeleontidae. The larvae are called Doodle Bugs and they bury themselves in the sand at the bottom of a pit and wait for other insects, including ants, to fall into their waiting jaws. Adults are feeble fliers and are attracted to lights.
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