The Ant-Lion and its Trap
by John J. Ward F.E.S.
 The
adult ant lion might easily be mistaken for a dragon-fly (see image
below). Its gauzy, brown-blotched wings and similar-shaped
body give it a considerable resemblance. The short, clubbed antennae,
however, readily distinguish it. The fly itself is of little interest,
but in its larval stage it is one of the most remarkable insects
known, and has been a source of interest to
entomologists for the past two centuries. It commences life
from an egg deposited on the sand by the parent insect during her
evening flight. When the larva is hatched, it immediately
begins to construct a little pit in the sand, at the bottom of which
it
hides. Later on, we are better able to understand the true
nature of
this hiding-place.
The full-grown larva is a somewhat weird animal.
It is about half an inch in length, with a body broadly oval
in shape, and beneath it are six diminutive legs ill adapted for
walking purposes; indeed, it can only shuffle along, and, strange
to
relate, its shuffle is always in a backward direction. Its head
is very
conspicuous on account of its formidable jaws, or mandibles,
these
organs serving to capture and hold its prey, also to suck its
juices;
for it is devoid of a mouth, properly speaking. It has six eyes
on each
side of its head. The prey that this curious grub seeks is small
active
creatures, such as ants, spiders, centipedes, wood-lice, etc.
It
demands living quarry, and lays out its plans accordingly for
their capture. Taking all things into consideration, the grub has
many natural
disadvantages to contend with. Ants, which constitute its chief
prey,
are extremely active, and, in open chase, the ant-lion's success
is
hopeless. Then, the grim aspect of its huge mandibles does not
inspire
confidence even in inquisitive ants, but the wily grub overcomes
all its
natural shortcomings. It is the larva that is properly called "ant-lion", for
the insect in its winged state does not prey upon ants. ("Doodlebug"
is another name for antlions.)
Ant-lion
in its winged state. When the Ant-Lion has passed its allotted
time
beneath
the land, and the intervening chrysalis stage, it emerges with
much the
appearance of a dragon-fly, with long, slender body and
expansive gauze-like wings.
The
methods adopted by the grub are very remarkable. Selecting a
dry and
sandy situation beneath a tree, or sheltered by a wall, it proceeds
to
trace a boundary line to its proposed trap by depressing the
end of its
abdomen into the sand and walking backwards in a circle. The
circle
having been completed, with a diameter of from one to two inches,
the larva then buries its Continued...
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