View source for Libelloides longicornis

{{Short description|Species of insect}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Ascalaphidae - Libelloides longicornis (male).JPG
| image_caption = ''Libelloides longicornis''. Male
| genus = Libelloides
| species = longicornis
| authority = ([[Giovanni Antonio Scopoli|Scopoli]], 1763)
| synonyms_ref = <ref>[http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2011/details/species/id/5686515 Catalogue of life]</ref>
| synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets = true
|''Hemerobius longicornis'' <small> Scopoli, 1763</small>
|''Ascalaphus bolivari'' <small> van der Weele, 1909</small>
|''Ascalaphus c-nigrum'' <small> Latreille, 1807</small>
|''Ascalaphus longicornis'' <small> (Linnaeus, 1764) </small>
|''Ascalaphus longicornis c-disjunctu'' <small>s Puisségur, 1967</small>
|''Ascalaphus longicornis montanu'' <small>s Monserrat, 1977</small>
|''Hemerobius longicornis'' <small> Linnaeus, 1764</small>
|''Libelloides longicornis aspoeckiaspoeckaeque'' <small> Aistleitner, 1980</small>
|''Libelloides longicornis boixolsius'' Aistleitner, 1980
|''Libelloides longicornis bolivari'' <small> Aistleitner, 1980</small>
|''Libelloides longicornis longicornis'' <small>(Linnaeus, 1764) </small>
|''Libelloides longicornis penibeticus'' <small> Aistleitner, 1980</small>
|''Libelloides longicornis ramiroi'' <small> Aistleitner, 1980</small>
|''Libelloides longicornis veronensis'' <small> Aistleitner, 1981</small>
|''Myrmeleon longicornis'' <small> (Linnaeus, 1764) </small>
}}}}

'''''Libelloides longicornis''''', common name '''black yellow owlfly''', is an owlfly species belonging to the family [[Ascalaphidae]], subfamily [[Ascalaphinae]].<ref>[https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id104380/ Biolib]</ref>

==Distribution and habitat==
[[File: Libelloides longicornis ZK3 09829 qc 3k.jpg |thumb|210px|left]]
This species is present in South Western Europe ([[France]], [[Germany]], [[Italy]], [[Portugal]], [[Spain]] and [[Switzerland]]).<ref>[https://fauna-eu.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/e7275423-c28a-4d4e-8d9b-fa7bf859fbbb Fauna Europaea]</ref> These insects mainly occur in the sunny meadows at rather high elevation.

==Description==
''Libelloides longicornis'' can reach a length of {{cvt|25|-|30|mm}} and a [[wingspan]] of {{cvt|38|-|58|mm}}. The body of these large owlflies is black, quite hairy, with some yellow markings. Also the head is black, with large compound eyes. The long sturdy black antennae are clubbed.

The wings do not have scales, are partly transparent and show a network of translucent lemon yellow ribs. In the fore wings appears a small basal dark spot reaching the base of the wings.<ref>D. Devetak [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/296194689_A_REVIEW_OF_THE_OWLFLIES_OF_SLOVENIA_NEUROPTERA_ASCALAPHIDAE A review of the owlflies of Slovenia]</ref>

The hind wings have a characteristic squared dark area towards the apex and a dark triangular sickle-shaped spot pointing to the wing tip.<ref name = bellmann>Heiko Bellmann: Der Neue Kosmos Insektenführer, S. 134, Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 1999, {{ISBN|3-440-07682-2}} {{in lang|de}}</ref>

The wings are usually held spread in sunny areas, as in [[dragonfly|dragonflies]], but when they are at rest they fold their roof-shaped wings over their abdomen.

This species is rather similar to ''[[Libelloides coccajus]]'', but in ''Libelloides longicornis'' the basal black area of the hind wings does not reach the anal angle.

==Biology==
Adults can be encountered from June through August.<ref name=bellmann/> They are [[diurnality|diurnal]] [[predator]]s of other small flying insects. Usually they fly between 2 meters and 3 meters high to catch their prey, preferably hunted under bright light conditions.

The mating usually takes place in the late morning or at noon, when these insects are warmed by the sun. The male grabs after a short fight the female with the pincers located at the top of the abdomen. The females then lay their white eggs on stems of herbaceous plants in closely spaced double rows.<ref name=bellmann/> Larvae resemble those of [[antlion]]s, but they do not dig  cavities in the ground.<ref>D. Badano & R.A. Pantaleoni, The larvae of European Ascalaphidae (Neuroptera)</ref>

==Bibliography==
*Aistleitner, E. (1981) Eine neue Unterart von Libelloides longicornis (L.) aus den Südostalpen (Neuropteroidea, Planipennia, Ascalaphidae)., Entomofauna 2:191-202. {{in lang|de}}
*Heiko Bellmann: Der Neue Kosmos Insektenführer, S. 134, Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 1999, {{ISBN|3-440-07682-2}}
*Michael Chinery, Parey's book of insects. A field guide of European insects -  Stuttgart 2004, {{ISBN|3-440-09969-5}}.
*Monserrat, V. J. (1977) Una nueva variedad de Ascalaphus longicornis L. en el sureste de España (Neuropt. Ascalaphidae)., Graellsia 31:187-192. {{in lang|es}}
*Oswald J.D., LDL Neuropterida Species of the World.

==References==
{{Wikispecies}}
{{Commons}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.galerie-insecte.org/galerie/libelloides_longicornis.html Galerie Insecte] {{in lang|fr}}
* [https://www.nature-guide.info/display/details.aspx?lang=en&id=1264 Nature Guide]
* [http://neurotteri.casaccia.enea.it/libelloides_longicornis.pdf Neurotteri] {{in lang|it}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q839653}}

[[Category:Neuroptera of Europe]]
[[Category:Ascalaphidae]]
[[Category:Insects described in 1763]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli]]
[[Category:Libelloides]]