Researchers spotted a large adult antlion, Palpares contrarius, resembling a dragonfly, for the first time in Tamil Nadu on the Madras Christian College campus. Antlions belong to the order Neuroptera and family Myrmeliontidae, with predatory larvae that trap ants in sandy pits. Found worldwide, mainly in dry, sandy areas, they are hard to spot during the day but visible at night near lights. Adults resemble damselflies but have softer bodies, lacy wings, and long clubbed antennae. Antlions are harmless, weak fliers, and beneficial by feeding on insects like ants.
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