Termites or White Ants 



at hand at the time of its birth, for the ant-lion's eggs are 

 laid in sand, the larva walks round and round in a circle 

 of from one to three inches in diameter. The result of 

 this preliminary manoeuvre is the formation of a shallow 

 circular trench which marks the outer boundary of its pit. 

 Having marked out a site, the business of excavating the 

 pit is taken in hand, and the method of doing so is in- 

 genious and peculiar. Travelling in a circle, just within 

 the boundary line, the ant-lion larva scoops up sand with 

 its front legs and piles it upon its flat head. When the 

 load is big enough the creature jerks its head upwards 

 and backwards, thereby throwing its burden to a con- 

 siderable distance. This delving is continued till the 

 complete circle has been traversed, then it excavates 

 smaller and smaller circles, till finally the pit is completed, 

 and when finished consists of a moderately deep conical 

 hollow in the sand with shelving sides. 



At the centre of the pit the ant-lion larva keeps guard, 

 not in full view, as might be expected, but quite buried 

 in the sand, except for its long jaws, which project 

 upwards, opened their widest and ready for immediate 

 use. Sooner or later, and probably sooner than later 

 for the Tropics, where most of the ant-lions live, are 

 teeming with insect life an unfortunate insect will pass 

 over the edge of the pit and then its fate is sealed. The 

 sides of the pit are built at such an angle that anything, 

 finding itself upon them, immediately slides down to the 

 bottom, where the fateful jaws are in waiting. When once 

 the larva has seized its prey it never leaves go ; it holds on 

 with the tenacity of a bull-dog, meanwhile sucking the 

 life-blood from its victim. Then, with a backward jerk 

 of its head, it casts the carcass well out of the pit and 

 waits for more. 



For the capture of small insects, such as ants, no trap 

 could be more cunningly devised than the ant-lion's pit ; 

 in the case of larger prey it is not quite so effective. A 

 powerful insect, struggling on the shifting sand slope, will 



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