Another antlion time lapse

The same antlion, about a month later. It has grown quite a bit in the meantime, and the pit diameter is 3 to 4 times as wide as in the first video of mine...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• antlion
• insect
• animal
• time
• lapse
• Neuroptera
• bug

[YousefsPie]

What do ant lions actually do? Do they eat the sand? Or do they just bulldoze it into the ground? Sorry may sound like a retarded question.

[delphidorcus]

@YousefsPie they shovel the sand out by flicking up a bunch with their mandibles. They keep walking backwards in a circular path, flicking sand up and away every few steps, until they dug themselves a nice funnel. They don't eat the sand, but the ants and other small insects that fall into the completed funnel.

[sigma1920]

absolutely beautiful.

looks like sand art in a zen temple garden.

thx a lot for ur vid response.

i have read in a book on japanese antlions that the pit diameter depends on the extent of antlion's hunger and has nothing to do with its developmental stage.

what do u think?

does that go for ur pet antlion, too?

i am subscribing to u.

keep posting :D

[delphidorcus]

Thanks for your comments & for subscribing to my videos. I thought about a zen sand garden as well when I saw it first.

I think the pit diameter is both a function of the antlion's stage and its state of hunger. When my antlion was small, there was no way it could ever have created a pit of such large diameter. Now the animal is fairly large and can flick more sand for a greater distance, making larger depths and therefore diameters possible. It digs more when it's hungry...

[basilisk678]

I agree with sigma! Awsome. I'm going to get my own antlion lol. I once saw them in my backyard and i touched the center hole, and hurt my finger..

[delphidorcus]

Ouch.. I never dared to get too close to their scary-looking mandibles.

[mankyman6]

Antlion huh? Let me get my crowbar....

[Moe3391]

hey Gordan, would you mind hitting that antlion over there with your crowbar :3 lmao

[MW2UNoMe13]

Where the hell are my suggestions? O_o

[xXaSsaSsinsF34RXx]

@YousefsPie they just sling the sand everywhere, and sometimes they fling it at the ants to get them to not be able to get out at all before they eat them

[videogamesrule124]

@delphidorcus when i hear antlion i think the game halflife but i knew there had to be a real bug but i think halflife when i hear it lol but amizing video

[steving]

they build a cone shape into the ground. then they hide just under the surface at the bottom and when an ant stumbles into the cone it cant get out and bam. the ant lion feasts. it also shoots sand at it if it trys to escape.

[MichaelkSimmons]

Looks like someone has a tom-tom.

[ITRIEDEL]

@Reyalamor careful they can bite, but only if you grab then, they have poison like regular ants and the bite can feel a bit more painful than a fire ant bite....however there easy to catch and as long as you scoop them up and keep your palm flat they wont bite...but if you grab it with your fingers look out for a nice sting shortly after

[ITRIEDEL]

thats awseome

[BearorBust]

Nice to see that, always wondered how they made their traps.

[catepillar55]

I have two antlions right now. In larva form (Like the video) if you want to know how to catch one... you just find an ant. Then find an antlion hole (usually in silty or sandy ground) drop in ant. When you see movement of the antlion... Scoop up the antlion`s hole and the antlion. Put it on a plate and sift trough till you find it. Good Luck!!!