Скачать или смотреть This is a story about an insect larva who is an expert at digging holes,

Hidden beneath the sand lies one of nature’s most fascinating ambush predators. This is the story of the antlion— the larval stage of insects from the family Myrmeleontidae, found across dry and sandy regions around the world.

Antlion larvae dig perfectly shaped funnel traps, using their oval-shaped abdomen to carve the sand and their heads to fling excess grains outward. Once the trap is ready, the antlion buries itself at the bottom with its sickle-shaped jaws pointed upward, waiting in silence.

Any small insect that steps too close will slide into the loose sand. The antlion quickly throws sand to destabilize its prey before capturing it. Instead of chewing, it sucks out the internal fluids through hollow jaws—then discards the empty shell from the pit.

When growth is complete, the antlion builds a silk-lined sand cocoon where it transforms into an adult. The adult antlion is a weak flyer with long narrow wings, often marked with brown or black spots. Because adult antlions cannot feed, the larval stage must store enough energy to survive adulthood. One of the most well-known species is Myrmeleon formicarius, a nocturnal insect strongly attracted to lights.

Discover the hidden world of this remarkable sand predator in this video.