Indiana Woman Finds ‘Invisible Bugs’ Building a Death Trap in Her Garden

I absolutely love the 'All Bugs Go to Kevin' Facebook group. It's the brainchild of Kevin Wiener from Evansville, and it's like a bug-lover's paradise. People from all corners of the globe share their coolest insect discoveries there. I mean, you'll find everything from stunning butterflies to those spine-tingling creepy-crawlies like worms. And hey, they're not just limited to insects; you'll see beetles, spiders (yeah, I know they're technically not insects), ants, grasshoppers—basically, if it's got more than four legs, chances are it's there!

Read More: Evansville Photographer's Facebook Group Hits 183K Followers

Recently, I saw a video of what appeared to be an invisible creature kicking up dirt. Becky Mason posted the video and captioned it, "What the heck? There’s 3 little divots in my raised garden bed with tiny something’s flingin dirt like nobody’s business!! West central Indiana"

So, naturally, I checked the comments.

Turns out those critters are actually antlions, not ants! And they're not just hanging out underground; they're busy constructing what can only be described as "death traps." They're like little architects, sculpting these intricate, inverted cone-shaped traps to snare unsuspecting ants and other tiny insects. These savvy antlions open up a hole and then just patiently wait for their next meal to stumble right in. Nature's got some clever tricks up its sleeve, doesn't it?

It's not the adult antlions causing all the buzz; it's actually their larvae stealing the spotlight! These little guys are the ones behind the whole "death trap" construction business. So, while the grown-up antlions might be flitting about with wings, it's their young ones that are really making waves underground. Who knew the larval stage could be so intense?

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According to Wikipedia,

They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which mostly dig pits to trap passing ants or other prey. In North America, the larvae are sometimes referred to as doodlebugs because of the marks they leave in the sand. The adult insects are less well known due to their relatively short lifespans compared to the larvae. Adults, sometimes known as antlion lacewings, mostly fly at dusk or just after dark and may be mistakenly identified as dragonflies or damselflies."

Here's a video that shows more about how antlions build their traps.

Antlions can be found pretty much anywhere in the world but prefer sandy areas to build their traps. Pretty interesting stuff!

Love bugs? Here's more of Kevin's amazing photography.