8.25.2008

Doodletown

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Beneath the house a moonscape of desperation and death awaits the unsuspecting...
Mmwwaahhhh.....

Nah, not really. There are just a bunch of antlion larvae hanging out, waiting for insects to fall into their little pitfall traps. A trap is shaped so that as an insect struggles to climb out, it instead slides in - the proverbial slippery slope ;) If it doesn't slide in fast enough, the "doodlebug" flings sand at it with its jaws.


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If you look closely, in the center of the picture you will see the head and jaws of a larva. It is most likely in the genus Myrmeleon. Afraid I don't know the species...

5 comments:

R.Powers said...

A favorite childhood bug!
Nice photos.

Pushesrb said...

Love the new blog look. it's lovely!! :) nice to see lots of posts again! :D headed to tennessee wednesday, wish me luck! it's going to be a 11 hr drive. *ick*

Woodduck said...

It's been a long time since I caught a doodlebug. Thanks for posting, and, happy trails...

swamp4me said...

FC,
Doodlebugs rock! I'm always torn between tossing them a treat and "saving" whatever critter has wandered into the pit of doom ;)

pushesrb,
Eleven hours!!! Ugh. Good luck and drive carefully.

woodduck,
Sounds like it's time for you to go out and poke around in the dirt and reacquaint yourself with the doodlebug :)

Woodduck said...

Good advice...happy trails.....