Invertebrates
Owlfly
Ascalaphidae · also called owlflies
Perched on a grass stem with its body angled skyward, an owlfly could easily be mistaken for a resting dragonfly, right up until its long, clubbed antennae catch the light and give away an entirely different identity.
Overview
The owlfly, family Ascalaphidae, is a dragonfly-like predatory insect found across forest edge and grassland habitat on most continents. Its long, clubbed antennae and close relationship to the antlion set it apart from the true dragonflies it so closely resembles in flight.
A case of mistaken identity by design
Between its aerial hunting style, its wing shape, and its habit of resting with its body held stiffly upward, the owlfly borrows nearly every visual cue a dragonfly has, leaving one single feature, its unmistakably long antennae, to reveal that the resemblance is only skin deep.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and common across suitable forest edge and grassland habitat in warm regions worldwide.
Owlfly: common questions
How can you tell an owlfly apart from a dragonfly?
The clearest difference is the antennae — an owlfly has notably long, clubbed antennae, often as long as or longer than its own body, while a dragonfly has very short, bristle-like antennae that are barely noticeable, a distinction that holds true even though both insects share a broadly similar wing shape and aerial hunting style.
Is the owlfly related to the antlion?
Yes, the owlfly is closely related to the antlion, and both groups share a similar ambush-predator larval lifestyle involving camouflaged larvae with large, sickle-shaped jaws, despite the adult owlfly looking dramatically different from the adult antlion thanks to its dragonfly-like wings and flight style.
How do owlfly larvae catch their prey?
An owlfly larva camouflages itself by attaching bits of soil, plant debris, or other material to its body, then waits motionless in a bark crevice or among leaf litter until a small invertebrate wanders within reach of its large, sickle-shaped jaws, an ambush strategy closely shared with its antlion relatives.
What do adult owlflies eat?
An adult owlfly is a carnivore that catches other flying insects directly on the wing, using its large, well-developed eyes to spot and track prey in flight, a hunting style that closely parallels the aerial hunting behaviour of dragonflies despite the two insect groups being only distantly related.