The 'Antlion'...

[enlightenment]

YouTube - Antlion Death Trap

Hmm.

What does it become after this three year period that he mentions?

[neep_neep]

Ahhhhh fabulous wee beasties! Family Myrmeleontidae, the adults look a bit like lacewings (but not).

I did a 3rd year study on these guys in Borneo, was much fun. Ugly buggers though



Hehe, watching that video brings back memories of spending many hours lying in the dirt, digging them up with spoons!

[enlightenment]

Looks like a bed bug.

Do they have anything that preys on them?

[enlightenment]

Yup.

Definitely got that bed bug look to it.

http://www.ggopc.com/Main/Bed%20Bug-...ectularius.jpg

[neep_neep]

Funny you should mention bed bugs, another little beast I had to deal with at uni. Not quite as much fun though - going home every night with a massive paranoia that one has hitched a ride

Not sure about predators of the larvae, but the adults would get nabbed by pretty much anything that can catch them.

[enlightenment]

Originally Posted by neep_neep

Funny you should mention bed bugs, another little beast I had to deal with at uni. Not quite as much fun though - going home every night with a massive paranoia that one has hitched a ride

Not sure about predators of the larvae, but the adults would get nabbed by pretty much anything that can catch them.

Do the adults become predators themselves?

Re bed bugs, thankfully, I have never had to deal with them in any context.

My g/f tells me that if they happen to evolve inside your home, you would need to literally destroy anything made of fabric....including all your clothes!

Is that true?

[neep_neep]

They actually pursue a completely different lifestyle as adults, generally feeding on nectar!

Well, you can get bed-bug specific exterminators, who I assume would do a reasonable job at getting rid of them. In fact, one of them collects specimens on his rounds and send them to the lab I was in

[enlightenment]

Originally Posted by neep_neep

They actually pursue a completely different lifestyle as adults, generally feeding on nectar!

Well, you can get bed-bug specific exterminators, who I assume would do a reasonable job at getting rid of them. In fact, one of them collects specimens on his rounds and send them to the lab I was in

I hope to never have to find out, fella!

If you had them in your house, and even with the best of exterminators, there would be your existing pets to think about. Sure, you could remove them for a time, but for how long, and how long would their chemical remain around the home?

I am off to look for a pic of an adult ant lion.

I used to be under the impression that the stage we all associate them with was their ONLY stage.

I have seen them for sale for as little as £3.

Probably not that interesting to actually keep.

Here's another thought.

Any footage you see, you always witness a single ant (or bug), walking over the 'trap'.

There must be have been an instance when multiple ants or termites have walked over it, all at one time.

I wonder what would happen then?

*Just some out loud Sunday thinking*

[neep_neep]

Originally Posted by enlightenment

Here's another thought.

Any footage you see, you always witness a single ant (or bug), walking over the 'trap'.

There must be have been an instance when multiple ants or termites have walked over it, all at one time.

I wonder what would happen then?

*Just some out loud Sunday thinking*

Funnily enough, our project was studying the feeding processes of antlions to determine the functional response.

The thing with the pits, is they are often built in very loose, sandy soil. So once the ant walks into the pit, it actually struggles to get out again because the loose soil just tumbles back into the pit when they try and scale the sides. So surplus ants just sit around in the pit until the antlion has eaten it's first prey item (takes between 3.5 to 5 minutes), it then goes for the next one. They need to be able to maximise their consumption and handle a lot of prey if it becomes available - as 'sit-and-wait' predators, they never know when the next meal might come along.

[enlightenment]

Originally Posted by neep_neep

Funnily enough, our project was studying the feeding processes of antlions to determine the functional response.

The thing with the pits, is they are often built in very loose, sandy soil. So once the ant walks into the pit, it actually struggles to get out again because the loose soil just tumbles back into the pit when they try and scale the sides. So surplus ants just sit around in the pit until the antlion has eaten it's first prey item (takes between 3.5 to 5 minutes), it then goes for the next one. They need to be able to maximise their consumption and handle a lot of prey if it becomes available - as 'sit-and-wait' predators, they never know when the next meal might come along.

Yeah, I have seen the pits, and how the loose soil works, mate.

Was just curious as to what might happen if a whole colony of ants happened to march over it, all at the one time?

Or something else, something larger that the antlion had not legislated for.

I have seen them for sale for as little as £3, however, I have a feeling that they are not popular due to;

A) They MAY not do well, captive.

B) They are probably a bit boring, like a Trap Door Spider.