MILKY OWLFLY
This stunning insect is 40mm in length and looks like a dragonfly but is more closely related to the antlions. Owlflies are distinguished from dragonflies by their long, clubbed antennae, dragonflies have short, bristly antennae. The head, thorax and abdomen are black with the thorax having yellow markings. The wings are black, brown and white. As well as the long-knobbed antennae, they have bulging eyes which are used to hunt during twilight. This habit was the reason that they were named owlflies. The European owlflies, contrastingly, including the milky owlfly, hunt using their ultraviolet vision, this means that they can only hunt when the sun is out.
Hedges with plenty of wildflowers and meadows are the hunting grounds for the milky owlfly. They hunt on the wing, catching other flying insects. The larvae are ambush predators and look like antlion larvae. They hide on the ground in leaf litter or in vegetation, sometimes covered in debris as camouflage and wait for their prey. The larvae have large, toothed mandibles, which are used to grab the unsuspecting prey. Pupation takes place in a spherical silk cocoon.
