The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-01-05

stone is thrown ont of the way. If the
stone leaves hole where it was taken
out, the insect fills up the cavity and
smoothes it down in keeping with the
symmetry of the rest. If stone too
large tor the insect to remove is en-
countered, the work is abandoned and
the digging resumed in another place.
In selecting its ground, however, the
ant lion seems to have an instructive
knowledge that such obstacles are not
apt 10 be met with in excavating.
The writer tested this instinct in the
ant lion once. He put the insect in n
box which had been filled with fine
sand. but layer OF stones the size of a
chestnut had been placed an inch or so
below the surface. The ant lion NOV
ed over every inch of the sand, appar-
emily, prospecting. 1t made no effort
to dig pit, and at last went to one COR
ner of the box, where it remained. 1t
was afterwards removed, and sand
without stones placed in the box. The
insect was returned to the box, and in
less than fifteen minutes was hard at
work digging its lair.
HOW HE TAKES HIS PREY.
When the ant lion has finished his
den it buries itself in the bottom. all
but the very tips of its horns. in which
there are very sensitive eyes and ears
or rather auricular nerves. The ant
lion is well provided with seeing pow
ers. for it has six eyes. The moment
it hides itself in the bottom of the pit
it is ready for any stray ant that may
tumble in. In this respect, also. the
ant lion displays wonderful instinct in
building its trap, for wherever one is
made it is on the runway" of ants or
other small insects. The old pine at
Milford where n mily of ant lions have
lived so long is fairly overrun in the
summer season with large wood ants.
A fly buzzing near the hole will put the
ant lion On the alert. An ant, hasten
ing along on some errand of its own,
seldom turns out for any obstacle.
Hence, il one comes to the edge of an
ant lions hole, it walks down one side
with the intention of going IN the
other, and probably to do some explor-
ing on the way. The ant that walks to
the bottom of one of these pits disap-
pears from sight the instant he reaches
that point. The ant lion has grabbed
it with his pincers, pulled the ant in, and
in a short time will have its juice sucked
dry. Then the ant lion comes up out
of his hiding place with the body of the
ant in his jaws. He backs up to the
top of his pit, jerks the carcass of his
prey far away, and returns to await
for another. Sometimes an ant that
has started down the side of an ant
lions den will change his mind before
he reaches the bottom and turns to
start back. But he seldom reaches the
top. The ant lion always has one or
two of his six eyes out for Just such oc-
casions, and the retreating ant at once
becomes the target for shovels of sand
that the ant lion throws at him and
ahead of him with wonderful precision,
using his horns for the purpose. This
bombardment invariably fetches the
ant back, either on run or on a tum-
BILE. If an ant lion lies at the bottom
of his pit for a day or two and bags no
game, he makes up his mind that he
has made a mistake in his hunting
place, and he moves to some other
spot.
The ant lion as an ant lion in active
service lives two years. At the end of
that time he weaves about himself a
cocoon, having completely buried him.
self in the sand for that purpose. Two
months later his horns and his legs and
eyes disappear His stumpy. hairy
body becomes rs long and slender as a
knitting-needle. In place of his savage
horns are two long. silky anttenne.
Four iridescent. gossamer wings APP
pear. and the hairy, fierce, formidable
ant lion energies from the sand one of
the most beautiful of winged insects.
Its life is short. 1t lays two eggs in
sandy place and dies. The eggs in
time become ant lions, to dig pits and
prey on ants for their allotted time
Ed. Mott, in ~ y. Nail and Erpress.