Warning: This is no one’s idea of a cozy-cuddly critter.
When I was a kid and read about the ant lion in a Mark Trail comic strip, color comics in the Sunday morning paper, I was all over the playground trying to find one. I didn’t understand how small these are, which would make them hard to find, so to this day I’ve never seen one, although they live all over North America.
The ant lion is the larva of the inoffensive flying doodlebug. It makes a cone-shaped hole in fine sand, the finer the better, hides itself at the bottom, and waits for some hapless ant to fall in. Because the sand is so fine, it’s just about impossible for the prey to escape before the ant lion grabs it and eats it. The ant lion is a mean-looking bug, and if it were the size of an alligator, we’d all have nightmares over it. But it’s only about half an inch long, so no fear.
Since the fall of Adam, God has allowed predation in His world. We are promised that will change, when He redeems Creation. Until then, keep the faith.
Just so you don’t get too scared, here is the harmless adult doodlebug.
Well I’ll be. Interesting little critters. The adult looks rather like a lacewing, a flying insect I’ve always thought was so delicate and beautiful.
I’d never heard of this critter until now. Thanks Lee.
The ant lion could be used as a archetype in future Bell Mountain books (if it hasn’t already – I’m on book #6 “The Palace”). Maybe the Thunder King could have a collection of them that are used to torture those who won’t submit to him.
I dunno–would that be cheating?
Crazy critter