Doodlebug  –  Ant-lion 

The doodlebug, or ant lion, is the larva of the Antlion Lacewing, which resembles a damselfly (damselflies look like dragonflies with wings folded back along the body). Doodlebugs are found worldwide and since there are around 2000 species, the one I drew is only identified to family. FYI,  Mirme = ant, leon = lion.

All doodlebugs look much alike and have the same highly unnerving method of trapping prey. Just be glad they’re only half an inch long!

Wherever there is fine sand, often protected by an overhang, look for conical depressions roughly 2” across and 1½” deep. If you see an ant slide into one of the depressions, the action will start immediately as the antlion flicks sand at the struggling ant, causing it to slide further down until the antlion can grab it with its huge hollow jaws, puncture it’s body, and inject it with a paralyzing venom. Then it squirts in enzymes to turn its prey’s innards into liquid, and sucks the body juices out like slurping up a smoothie through a straw. It is positively horrifying if you envision the doodlebug the size of a dog. Or a lion. Yikes!

Usually, the doodlebug pulls its victim (it isn’t necessarily an ant, but in the tropics that’s the most likely prey) down under the sand before dining, which is a relief if you are watching. When it is finished a few minutes later, it will loft the empty insect husk into the air and out over the edge of the pit. In fact, there may be a ring of empty bodies lying around the pit. Nightmare stuff.  

The doodlebug creates its trap by hunching along backward and downward in a spiral while flipping sand up and out to the side with its jaws, eventually excavating a perfect downward cone with sides slanted to hair-trigger readiness. Disturbed by a passing insect’s legs, the sand cascades downward, and smaller insects slide down with it. If they’re escaping, the doodlebug hurls sand at them to dislodge them and bring them down within jaw range.

As a kid, I used to dig doodlebugs up with a spoon and deposit the spoonful of sand and doodlebug in the palm of my hand, squeaking with excitement as it tried to dig its pit into my palm with its rump. Was I just lucky it never tried to puncture me? I’ve no idea! More info here.