Wormlion
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Wormlion is a noun meaning The larva of a vermileonid.
Meaning
The larva of a vermileonid.
Example Sentences
The worm-lion dislike a damp environment; you will never, therefore, find its pit in wet soil. For preference it chooses the loose, dusty soil beneath an overhanging rock, or on the lee side of a dense bush or hedge, where it is protected from the rain.
Because larvae of antlions use a similar strategy to capture prey, the fly larvae are by analogy called wormlions. Their scientific names were also chosen to reflect their parallel lives. Antlions belong to the family Myrmeleontidae (myrmex = ant; leo = lion), and wormlions belong to the family Vermileonidae (vermi = worm; leo = lion).
Word Forms
- wormlions
- worm-lion
- worm lion
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include vermileonid, larva, worm, larvivore, slugworm, myrmeleonid.
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Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
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