any of various neuropterous insects of the family Myrmeleontidae, which typically resemble dragonflies and are most common in tropical regions
2. Also called (US): doodlebug
the larva of this insect, which has very large jaws and buries itself in the sand to await its prey
Examples of 'antlion' in a sentence
antlion
When an antlion captures a foraging ant, the victim's nestmates may display rescue behaviour.
Krzysztof Miler 2016, 'Moribund Ants Do Not Call for Help', PLOS ONE10.1371/journal.pone.0151925. Retrieved from PLOS CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Workers with unrestrained mandibles escaped from antlion pits significantly more frequently than workers with restrained mandibles.
Fredrick J Larabee, Andrew V Suarez 2015, 'Mandible-Powered Escape Jumps in Trap-Jaw Ants Increase Survival Rates during Predator-PreyEncounters.', PLoS ONEhttp://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4429970?pdf=render. Retrieved from PLOS CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Indeed, significant differences were found in the frequency of rescue behaviours in response to antlion victims with differing life expectancies.
Krzysztof Miler 2016, 'Moribund Ants Do Not Call for Help.', PLoS ONEhttp://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4795707?pdf=render. Retrieved from PLOS CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)