the.com/antlion
A baby insect that builds death-traps in sand and patiently sips its prey hollow.
means An antlion is the larval stage of a winged insect (family Myrmeleontidae) that digs a conical sand pit and lies buried at the bottom, seizing ants and other small bugs that tumble in.
from A plain compound of "ant" and "lion," translating the older Latin name formicaleon (from Latin formica, "ant," plus leo, "lion") — a name passed down from Greek through medieval natural history. The image is a creature that is to ants what a lion is to larger prey: a fierce hunter at the scale of its victims.
- sand trap
- Larvae dig steep pits, then ambush whatever slides in
- no exit
- Has no rear opening; waste stored until adulthood
- sand-flick
- Hurls grains to collapse footing of escaping victims
- name swap
- Adults look like delicate, harmless damselflies
- juice diet
- Injects venom, liquefies insides, drinks the smoothie
antlion pit trap — larva of myrmeleon digs conical sand trap to catch ants, found worldwide in sandy soil
doodlebug — common name for antlion larva in north america, creates distinctive spiral patterns in sand