There are lions on Mt. Hoo, oh my!
It took 17 years to learn that there are lions sharing my little plot of nature.
Don’t get too excited.
To be honest, we are not talking about big, powerful cats. Instead, these are tiny creatures more accurately known as antlions.
It was a discovery made during one of my sit-and-see adventures. Readers know that this is something I often do, where I find an interesting place in nature and sit quietly for an hour or so.
Often great insights are revealed as you blend into the natural realm and the industry of the wild returns to its normal routine.
OK, I might chalk this one up more to laziness on a recent warm, late-summer day when a lawn swing in the shade was simply too inviting to up.
Sitting quietly, I enjoyed the circling red-tailed hawk drifting on unseen air currents overhead and I was happy to spot the arrival of the first migrating, white-crowned sparrows who will brighten local gardens this winter.
Nearby, in the shade of a yawning pepper tree I noticed several tiny holes in the dirt, but gave them little thought, thinking they were simply marks left by the moisture of accumulated morning fog dripping to the ground.
Until movement caught my eye.
Looking more closely, I could see an ant trying to scramble up the steep sides of the funnel-shaped hole that is about the size of silver dollar.
Small clumps of dirt were being tossed up at the ant as he tried to climb out of the hole.
What seemed like a normal, easy exit for the ant was being hampered by some unseen force tossing obstacles in his path, causing him to repeatedly tumble to the bottom of the funnel.
Suddenly, two barbed pinchers emerged from the sand, grasping the ant and pulling it beneath the surface.
My relaxed sit-and-see had now became a curious mystery.
What creature had captured the ant in this unique way?
Something was lurking at the bottom of the tiny pit, and I needed to see what it was.
With a small trowel I scooped out all the dirt around the small sand pit and put it into a paper cup. Slowly I began to shake the cup, allowing small amounts of dirt to fall out.
It was a bit like panning for gold.
Suddenly, a “nugget” larger than the fine sand fell out onto the ground and I was face to face with a surprisingly frightening looking creature.
While small, perhaps only a quarter inch in length, this six-legged insect had a large abdomen that appeared to be covered with a segmented, armored shell and coarse hairs, and a small head with two very large, barbed jaws facing forward.
My quiet sit-and-see was now a full-fledged hunt for information about my new friend.
I soon discovered that this was an antlion, also known as a doodlebug, and considered to be a beneficial insect because it feeds voraciously on ants and spiders.
The doodlebug moniker comes from the squiggly lines it makes while moving around looking for a suitable place to build a sand pit.
Once settled into its new home, the antlion simply waits for pray.
The powerful jaws can inject an enzyme that paralyzes and helps digest the prey it captures.
The antlion is the larval phase of the more well-known lacewing, a delicate flying insect with beautiful, transparent veined wings. These are also considered beneficial as natural control agents of aphids, scale insects, mealybugs and other garden pests.
The eggs of the lacewing hatch into antlions who feed and grow for about 25 days before they prepare a cocoon and transform into the adult lacewing.
And did I mention how formidable these little bugs look?
Apparently, others have noticed that as well.
The antlion was the inspiration behind the “Star Wars” alien sarlacc creature used by Jabba the Hut to dispose of his enemies. Lurking in sand pits, these giant creatures would devour anything tossed into the pit.
Thank goodness, my Mt. Hoo sarlacc is very small.
Wildlife volunteers
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife in San Diego is looking for you.
The state agency is seeking volunteers who enjoy wildlife and nature and would like to help the department with habitat conservation projects, assisting as hunting and fishing regulation guides, hunter education classes and with licensing exams for falconry and trapping.
Those selected will attend a training academy sometime in March or April. Exact dates are not set.
Additionally, volunteers will work with game wardens and department biologists and assist with public calls for help with local wildlife.
For more information or to as a volunteer, Bob Gaskin at [email protected] or (858) 349-9794.
Cowan is a freelance columnist. Email [email protected] or visit erniesoutdoors.blogspot.com.
