![The antlion - [[File:Antlion1 by Jonathan Numer.jpg|thumb|Antlion1 by Jonathan Numer]]](http://images.suite101.com/3234883_com_antlion.jpg)
Visualize a creature with a mottled body, a plump, soft abdomen replete with bristles, enormous jaws and a voracious appetite. John Travolta? Good guess, but no: the antlion.
Etymology of the Name
The antlion (colloquially known as the "doodlebug") is an insect within the family Myrmeleontidae, a subset of the order Neuroptera. The family name is derived from the Greek words for ant (myrmex) and lion (leon). It derives the name from its predatory larval stage's diet, which consists primarily of ants. The nickname "doodlebug" comes from the random, spiraling trails the larva leaves in the sand as it meanders about, searching for a suitable location to build its trap. Those loops resemble doodles on a piece of paper.
The Antlion Habitat
Although antlions exist throughout the world in both arid and temperate climates, most species prefer dry, desert environments, such as the kind found within the southwestern United States. Although some species vary in terms of methods, morphology, and predation, the majority follow the same general pattern: the larva digs a conical pit in sandy soil and waits at the bottom, either fully submerged or with only its jaws exposed, for prey to accidentally tumble into the trap.
Building the Pit
The antlion builds the structure by spiraling backwards, tossing sand over its head and out of the target area. As it circles inward, the pit grows deeper and deeper, until it reaches a depth of about 1.5 inches, with a diameter of approximately two inches across. The walls of the pit are steep, angled so that the sand remains in place through the tensile strength of the granules, and are differentiated between larger particles that eventually get thrown out and the finer ones that remain due to the angle of repose of the pit wall.
Feeding Techniques
After the pit is completed, the antlion burrows itself into the vertex, jaws extended upward and typically open, and waits. When an unsuspecting insect wanders into the pit, the tensile strength of the approximately 40-degree slope gives way and sand, along with the victim, slides toward the bottom. The antlion awakens, checks its watch, and subsequently springs into action. It excavates nearby loose sand and tosses it over the head of the potential meal, creating an avalanche of additional sand that prevents the insect from gaining a proper foothold as it attempts to flee.
The shower of sand drives it back down toward the massive, awaiting jaws. It may take a half dozen or more tosses to create enough mini-avalanches so that the insect is finally within striking distance of the antlion's oversized mandibles. When that happens, the pincer-like jaws grasp the insect and drags it beneath the surface, where it is subsequently drained of its fluids. After the meal is completed, the antlion launches the carcass out of the pit altogether, and repairs the trap.
Another species of insect utilizes nearly identical methodology. Known as the wormlion, it looks like a fairly typical worm, yet builds a conical trap and hunts prey in the same manner as the antlion. The two species are not related.
Adulthood
After pupation, the antlion emerges out of its coccoon as an attractive, docile, four-winged adult that flutters off in search of a mate. Most antlion adults feed on nectar - a stark reversal of their ferocious larval stage - and live only for a few weeks, just long enough to find a mate. The female eventually lays its eggs in sandy soil, and the cycle continues.
Remember the scene in Return of the Jedi where Luke is poised at the edge of a plank, to be fed to the awaiting Sarlacc that lie at the bottom of a sandy pit? That fictional creature was based upon the antlion.
In summary, the antlion is a unique insect that builds nearly perfect conical traps to capture its prey within, flicking sand over the scrambling victim's fleeing form to drive it into its jaws, where it is captured, dragged below the surface, and consumed. The antlion poses no threat to humans or animals, and maintains a symbiotic relationship by helping to control pests. Other than its fictionalized screen representation in Return of the Jedi, it otherwise bears little resemblance to John Travolta. Notice how I didn't say "none".
Walter McLaughlin - I am a 47-year old commercial banker living in the Seattle area. I am an avid sports fan, but also greatly enjoy writing satirical, ...
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