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Project Noah Nature School
Fam. Myrmeleontidae
Antlion larvae can be found in sandy areas, where they dig a shallow cone-shaped pit. They wait at the bottom of the pit for an ant or other insect to fall in. They have robust bodies that are gray or brown in color. Their bodies are covered in bristles, which help them gain traction in their sandpits. They have enormous sickle-shaped mandibles, which have a canal that contains venom and enzymes. Interestingly, they do not have a traditional mouth. Instead, they have a small, fixed slit that can't be used for chewing solid food. So, they have to liquefy their meals. To eat, the larvae grab and stab their prey, inject it with venom and digestive enzymes. which dissolve soft tissues. Then, the larvae just have to suck the goo out of their prey. Their common name comes from the observation that they prey primarily on ants; So, metaphorically speaking, the antlion is a "lion" among ants.
I spotted numerous sand traps in a sandy area next to a pond in a mixed forest.
Antlion larvae have an unusual feature in that they lack an anus. Any metabolic waste that they generate during their larval stage gets stored - some will be used to spin silk for the cocoon, and the rest will eventually be voided as meconium at the end of the pupal stage.
Spotted on Sep 27, 2017
Submitted on Oct 3, 2017
2 Comments
Wow, thanks so much for a 2nd nomination this week!
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!