Nocturnal creatures, adult antlions rest on dry twigs during the day. At night they hang on the twigs, with raised wings. Mating is a rather acrobatic affair. As the female clings to a twig, the male attaches his tail to hers. He then hangs below her, suspended only by his genital apparatus.
Copulation lasts nearly two hours.
Laboratory studies have detected volatile compounds produced by the adult male Euroleon nostras. Shown at left is a mating pair of Euroleon nostras, a common European antlion species. Reproduced with permission. See Monika Haenel's drawing based on this photograph. When a female finds a suitable place, she repeatedly taps the sand surface with the tip of the abdomen.