Ant Lion/Doodlebug

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These helpful insects are known by several names, including sand dragons, doodlebugs, antlions, and ant lions. The adults are often called antlion lacewings.

They're called doodlebugs in North America because of the trails they leave behind that look like something has doodled in the sand.

There are about 3,000 species of ant lions, which is the term given to the larval form of the insect.

The adult is a winged insect, hence its lacewing name.

This name applied to insects of the myrmeleontidae family, which are classified with the alderfly and have some likeness to dragonflies and damselflies. But they can be differentiated by their clubbed antennae and characteristic wing patterns.

The ant lion is found in sandy rural areas. To find one, blow on the sand, and the insect will be exposed. You'll find it in the sand because it makes little traps. Small bugs fall into the hole in the sand, into the waiting jaws of the doodlebug.

When it is done with its prey, the ant lion tosses out the remains from the pit with a snap of its head.

The larva, which looks like a little rhinoceros beetle, is a voracious predator of ants and other small insects. You'll be glad they're around your sandy gardens to help keep the pests under control.

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