Antlion

The antlion is a facinating insect - cunning and globally distributed, it is as much a safari staple as eland, elephant, or, indeed, lion sightings. This fierce looking bug is a member of the Little Five group, and of the insect family Myrmeleontidae (of which there are roughly 2000 species).

“Antlion” is a term actually reserved for the larval stage of this insect’s life cycle - interestingly enough, though, while there are terms for the adult stage in various other languages, there is no accepted or widely used name in the English language, and thus both are referred to merely as “antlion”. The name is derived from the fierce appearance of the insect’s larvae, with its pronounced mandibles and pincers, wide, flat head, and its ferocious attacks on prey. In terms of appearance, the antlion’s body tapers at each end and has a plump abdominal section, with six powerful legs used for walking. Each gigantic pincer is also capable of injecting venom during an attack.

Choosing to live chiefly in sandy environments, the antlion makes use of sandholes for cover during hunting. Burying itself partially underground, along routes used by smaller insects, the antlion larvae uses a heightened sense of vibration (transmitted through the hairs on its body and legs) to detect the passing of insects above. Waiting at the bottom of an angular pit, jaws open wide and protruding from under a thin layer of sand, the antlion will strike suddenly, injecting venom into unsuspecting prey and dragging it back down into the sand. Some suspect its name might be derived from its diet, as ants present it with its best hunting odds.

Antlions are egg-laying insects, female adults laying their eggs under the sand. Tapping and testing the sand surface first, the female will insert her abdomen into the sand and lay one egg at a time.