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Snake-fly Subilla confinis

Only few people have ever heard about Snakeflies and even fewer have actually ever seen them. They are not very rare, though. Their small size, unobtrusive behavior, hidden larval stage and short adult stage puts them among the more obscure insects. The adults have a very long neck, which is used to keep the head above the body. The larvae live among roots of plants and trees or under bark and hunt for other insects or their larvae. It often takes them 2 or 3 years to complete their development. Pupation doesn't take very long and the pupa is among the most active of all insect pupae: it is still capable of walking! The adults appear in spring mainly and hunt for plant lice and other small insects. Subilla confinis is rare in Britain. The larvae hunt for other insect larvae under bark.