Updated 05-May-2020.
Mondo shtuff from around the internet, all about ANTLION!
My botty best at summarizing from Wikipedia: antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the family Myrmeleontidae . adult insects are less well known due to their relatively short lifespans compared to the larvae myrmeleontiformia is generally accepted to be a monophyletic group . antlions have been mentioned in literature since classical times . predatory actions of the larvae have attracted attention throughout the antlion larva is often called a “doodlebug” in North America because of the odd winding, spiralling trails it leaves in the sand while relocating . the scientific name of the type gen antlion adults are distinguished from damselflies by their antennae . adults are feeble fliers and are normally found fluttering about at night in search of a mate . the antlion larva has a robust fusiform body, a very plump abdomen, and a thorax bearing three pairs of walking legs . the larvae are unusual among insects in lacking an anus the best known species are those in which the larvae dig pits to trap their prey . the female antlion repeatedly taps the prospective laying site and inserts her ovipositor into the substrate and lays larvae have low metabolic rates and can survive for long periods without food . in cooler climates they dig their way deeper and remain inactive during the winter . when larva attains its maximum size, it pupates and undergoes antlions exhibit the greatest disparity in size between larva and adult of any type of holometabolous insect . the exoskeleton of the adult is extremely thin and flimsy, with an exceptionally low in certain species of Myrmeleontidae, larvae hide in detritus in hole in a tree . in Japan, Dendroleon jezoensis larvae lurk on rocks for antlion larva digs a pit about 2 in (5 cm) deep and 3 in (7.5 cm) wide at the edge . behavior has also been observed in the vermileonidae (Diptera trap is one of the simplest and most efficient traps in the animal kingdom . fine grain lining ensures that avalanches carrying prey are as large as possible . small insects that inadvertently venture larva throws loose sand at prey from bottom of pit, causing sides of pit to collapse . larvae can capture and kill insects and other arthropods, and can even subdue small spiders . the larva readies the pit once again by throwing out collapsed material from the center . the larvae prefer dry places protected from the rain . when it first hatches, the tiny larva specialises in very small insects . the fossil record of antlions is very small by neuropteran standards . but some Mesozoic fossils attest to the origin more than 150 million years ago . the extinct Araripeneurida the mythical ant-lion hybrid was written about in the 2nd century AD Physiologus . animal descriptions were paired with Christian morals . it was said to starve to death because of its dual nature . antlions appear as antagonists in the 1991 life simulation video game, SimAnt . the fictional sarlacc from the star wars franchise is often compared to the real-life antslion . Antlion Death Trap, a National Geographic video posted on YouTube.