Larvae live in sand traps, and the adults
are seen at porch lights during the night.
Food:
The larvae eat ants, and the adults eat
nectar and pollen or do not eat at all.
Lifecycle:
Complete metamorphosis-4 stages
Winter Survival:
Hibernation
Lifespan:
Unknown
Adaptations:
Large jaws. The ability to create sand
traps.
Sleep Cycle:
Diurnal
Niche:
Predator
Role to Humans:
Beneficial
Population:
Common
Interesting Facts:
Larva catch prey in pit traps.
Sources:
The Golden Guide to Insects and the Internet
Expressive Drawing and Poem
Antlion
My life in the world began when I hatched out of my egg. As
soon as I emerged from my egg as a larva, I tried to get out of
the layer of dirt above me. To do this I had to move my legs violently
and then I started to crawl out.
Out in the sunlight, I made my way over to a soft dirt patch.
Here I threw up my head to disturb the dirt. As I repeated this
action, I started to lower myself into the dirt. When I reached
about a quarter inch away from the surface, I turned my body so
that my abdomen was facing downward and only my jaws were protruding.
After finishing my trap, I took my first rest.
In the middle of my slumber, I was disturbed. Dirt started falling
on my face so I snapped my mandibles to bring more dirt down.
When the intruder's body hit my trigger hairs, I snapped my jaws
over his body and injected digestive juices and then sucked the
dissolved contents into my mouth.
After eating, I left the ruined trap and searched for a new area.
As the days wore on I became very tired, so I stopped to rest.
When I tried to get up, I couldn't. It was scary. Slowly I lost
more strength and then everything faded out and I became a pupa.
After a long time, I emerged from my pupa case as a winged adult,
ready for a new life.
