ON EXTRAINTESTINAL DIGESTION OF ANT LION (EUROLEON NOSTRAS 4 MYRMELEONIDAE)

Food uptake and extraintestinal digestion of the ant lion (Euroleon nostrasFour.) are investigated. As prey we used ants which were fed either by neutral red or radioactive 32P in a honey solution. An injection of digestive enzymes (up to 0,5 mg) into the prey is followed by sucking after 6-8 min (Fig. 1). The time of sucking depends on the volume of the prey. The regurgitated gastric juice is not mixed with the contents of the peritrophic membrane or of the crop. It is suggested that the secretion is extruded out of the space between the peritrophic membrane and the epithelium of the midgut. The juice then seems to be transported along the crop content through a fold formed by a contraction of crop muscular system. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.