Four-Spotted Antlion

Four-Spotted Antlion

Distoleon tetragrammicus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Athens

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

7 Verified sightings at Athens
68 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Four-Spotted Antlion

Distoleon tetragrammicus is a species of antlion in the subfamily Myrmeleontinae. Distoleon tetragrammicus is widespread in the western Palearctic realm and it is present in most of Southern Europe and in North Africa. This species can be found in a wide range of habitats, from coastal dunes to mountain forests, mainly in arid and sandy areas, in oak and pine forests and in various calcareous wasteland with minimum moisture. The larvae avoid exposed sites as coastal dunes.

The adults of Distoleon tetragrammicus greatly resemble dragonflies or damselflies. They have a wingspan of about 75 millimetres (3.0 in). The front wing can reach a width of 26–40 millimetres (1.0–1.6 in). They have thick, prominent, apically clubbed antennae, a long, narrow abdomen and two pairs of long, transparent, multiveined wings, with some brown and opaque spots. This species is sometimes confused with Myrmeleon formicarius.

The larvae do not look anything like adults. The length of a fully grown larva is typically 12–22 millimetres (0.47–0.87 in). The basic body color is dark brown with darker markings. The head is dark brown. The strong dark brown mandibles... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
2 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
3 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
4 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Budapest 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
2 Lyon 🇫🇷 France
~10%
3 Athens 🇬🇷 Greece
~10%
4 Belgrade 🇷🇸 Serbia
~10%
5 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
6 Bucharest 🇷🇴 Romania
~10%
7 Milan 🇮🇹 Italy
<5%
8 Porto 🇵🇹 Portugal
<5%
9 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
<5%
10 Barcelona 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Four-Spotted Antlion in Athens?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Four-Spotted Antlion sighting in Athens on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 137th most-seen of the 242 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Four-Spotted Antlion in Athens?

June

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Four-Spotted Antlion in Athens on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months. That is one of Athens's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 85 mm in December.

What time of day is best to see a Four-Spotted Antlion?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Four-Spotted Antlion sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Athens the best place to see a Four-Spotted Antlion?

Among the best

Of the 10 cities where we can rate Four-Spotted Antlion sightings, Athens ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Budapest (Hungary, about 10%) and Lyon (France, about 10%).

Where does the Four-Spotted Antlion sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Four-Spotted Antlion is recorded against all the insects logged in Athens (7 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Athens