#ant lions

[apsciencebylyn]

Velvet ants are so common in the Florida sand that I don't always give them a second look (unless they're miniscule), but this one caught my eye because it suddenly buried itself in the sand, by scooting backwards. 👀👀

Brachynemurus nebulosus - an ant lion mimicking velvet ants!

[hev-mark-iv]

[antimony-ore]

Funny ant lion eat a baby box elder bug

[sirswooshnoodles]

Y’all!!! Ant Lions!!! At my sister’s house!!! I didn’t know they lived in my area!!! (Midwest usa)

Look how tiny it is!!!!! For reference my fingers are like a half cm wide. Itty bitty buggo.

I did not wreck this guys hole he didn’t have one, I honestly didn’t know it would be an ant lion moving the woodchip I saw wiggling but it was a pleasant surprise to get a clear pic of one. I have a pic after I put him back down but damn they blend in like nobody’s business.

Sorry this is the best video I got, but at least you can see two of them digging!

I’ve always thought ant lions were dope af. I knew I had a close relative that doesn’t dig in my area bc I’ve seen them, but I didn’t know that the digging kind(s) lived so close to me too. I guess it’s time to do some research on these guys.

Also apparently we can’t have nice things bc if I take five minutes to watch and video/photograph bugs the puppy will eat the flowers.

[raideo]

Bug time!

[apsciencebylyn]

Oh, yeah, there's an ant lion baby which seems to mimic velvet ants (mutillidae): Brachynemurus nebulosus

[apsciencebylyn]

Day 16 of my 2024 favorites: Velvet ant mimic ant lions!

I'd seen one of the velvet ant mimicking larvae a few years ago but none since, until this silly creature showed up above ground one afternoon. ❤️ The adults are Very Long. They're delightful.

[apsciencebylyn]

You are free to imagine the tail of this ant lion species going on forever (it kinda does)