Four-Spotted Antlion

Four-Spotted Antlion

Distoleon tetragrammicus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Budapest

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

32 Verified sightings at Budapest
68 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
July 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 Budapest?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Four-Spotted Antlion sighting in Budapest on a given day, based on 32 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 60th most-seen of the 404 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

July

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Four-Spotted Antlion in Budapest on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.

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 Budapest the best place to see a Four-Spotted Antlion?

Yes

Of the 10 cities where we can rate Four-Spotted Antlion sightings, Budapest has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Lyon (France, about 10%) and Athens (Greece, 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 Budapest (32 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.

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