Certainly scary to ants. It's interesting to come face to face with how I feel about predation. I love the wild wolves, who slaughter big elk, owls who grab mice from the ground at night, and fish who eat, well, littler fish, even though I go, oh, poor thing, when I think about the prey. All animals eat living things. We call them predators if their food is other animals, but plant eaters also eat other beings. I guess if I like life I have to like predation.
We'd find these in dry places on Grandmother's farm when we were kids. We'd take a little stick and stir around in the pit with a little stick, repeating this important poem: Doodlebug, doodlebug, fly away home! Your house is burned down and your children all gone! And the antlion would come out.
I love that you share with us the stories about these tiny creatures that we often overlook. I've read they can be found in Oregon but I'm not sure if they're in my area. I'll be on the lookout though!
This takes me back. When I was a kid we lived in a very sandy neighborhood in north Texas, and we always had ant lions in our driveway. I never knew there was an adult stage after the ant lion stage—how fun to learn that!
I've relocated a couple of the antlions to pots of sandy soil, covered by fine mesh cloth, and have stored them in a protected outdoor closet. It's my hope that by bringing them out in spring and looking at them every night and morning I'll see the adults after they emerge. I'm not sure how this is going to work out.
Have never seen an Ant Lion pit, let alone the wee beastie itself! Will bear them in mind to look for next summer, though I know I wouldn't be brave enough to pick one up!
They won't hurt you. If you're not squeamish about insects, it's a lot of fun, because the do sort of tickle and they back up into a crevice between your fingers.
Predator and prey…how to love both? I love chipmunks and I love owls…l had a dog who killed snakes…I loved the dog and I loved the snakes. It’s a condrum!
It's something we have to work through in our minds. I mean, every kind of animal from flea to elephant eats other living things, and a lot of them eat other animals. Either we have to accept the entire way life and food chains work, or, well, we can refuse to accept it, but it's still happening. I love it that you love chipmunks and owls and snakes and the dog. Me too.
Oh, Diane, your photos and video are a treasure! I see these pits every day in the dry area near the bird feeders and knew they were antlion lairs. But this is my first sight of these tiny predators, so fierce in their small worlds. Thank you for this delightful introduction!
Tiny, but, still seriously scary!!
Certainly scary to ants. It's interesting to come face to face with how I feel about predation. I love the wild wolves, who slaughter big elk, owls who grab mice from the ground at night, and fish who eat, well, littler fish, even though I go, oh, poor thing, when I think about the prey. All animals eat living things. We call them predators if their food is other animals, but plant eaters also eat other beings. I guess if I like life I have to like predation.
We'd find these in dry places on Grandmother's farm when we were kids. We'd take a little stick and stir around in the pit with a little stick, repeating this important poem: Doodlebug, doodlebug, fly away home! Your house is burned down and your children all gone! And the antlion would come out.
Wow! I never heard that one. I mean, about ladybugs, but not doodlebugs. How cool.
I love that you share with us the stories about these tiny creatures that we often overlook. I've read they can be found in Oregon but I'm not sure if they're in my area. I'll be on the lookout though!
You do have antlons in Oregon. They are not the same species but very similar, and they do make pits
Wow, fascinating! And your photos/videos are marvelous.
Thank you Jeanne!
This takes me back. When I was a kid we lived in a very sandy neighborhood in north Texas, and we always had ant lions in our driveway. I never knew there was an adult stage after the ant lion stage—how fun to learn that!
I only learned that this year myself, after thinking all my long life that I knew what an antlion was!
I see those little circles in the ground all the time but I've never seen an antlion! They are so cute.
Thanks Marie. Nice of you to comment.
Saw my first antlions this summer. They are amazing.
Well that's rather neat. Congratulations.
Fascinating and so cool that you have antlion pits near your house!! They do like and need the sand to make those prey catching pits!
An adult came to my porch lights many years ago. They do look similar to a damselfly.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful find! Wishing you great success in getting to see the adults next year!! 🙏
I've relocated a couple of the antlions to pots of sandy soil, covered by fine mesh cloth, and have stored them in a protected outdoor closet. It's my hope that by bringing them out in spring and looking at them every night and morning I'll see the adults after they emerge. I'm not sure how this is going to work out.
Have never seen an Ant Lion pit, let alone the wee beastie itself! Will bear them in mind to look for next summer, though I know I wouldn't be brave enough to pick one up!
They won't hurt you. If you're not squeamish about insects, it's a lot of fun, because the do sort of tickle and they back up into a crevice between your fingers.
Predator and prey…how to love both? I love chipmunks and I love owls…l had a dog who killed snakes…I loved the dog and I loved the snakes. It’s a condrum!
It's something we have to work through in our minds. I mean, every kind of animal from flea to elephant eats other living things, and a lot of them eat other animals. Either we have to accept the entire way life and food chains work, or, well, we can refuse to accept it, but it's still happening. I love it that you love chipmunks and owls and snakes and the dog. Me too.
Fascinating! I shared this with my sons.
Kids seem to love antlions.
They are big kids now (19 and 22) but still interested in insects!
This is absolutely fascinating - thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you Angie, and especially for commenting!
Oh, Diane, your photos and video are a treasure! I see these pits every day in the dry area near the bird feeders and knew they were antlion lairs. But this is my first sight of these tiny predators, so fierce in their small worlds. Thank you for this delightful introduction!
Thank you Susan. How cool that you have them in Texas also.