Antlion

About the Antlion

Larvae dig conical pits in sand and wait at the bottom for ants to slide in, then flick sand to knock prey deeper. They have been doing this for 100+ million years. They are sometimes called doodlebugs because of the meandering trails they leave in sand while searching for a pit location. The larva is a fearsome predator with huge sickle-shaped mandibles. Adults are delicate flying insects that resemble damselflies. Over 2,000 species described. They spend 1-3 years as larvae, then only 20-45 days as adults.