Keeping Antlions (Doodlebugs) as Pets

What are They?: Antlions are the larvae form of a group of insects belonging to the family Myrmeleontidae. The adult form is a winged insect resembling a dragonfly. Antlions are sometimes also called doodlebugs.

Life Span: The antlions stay in the larval form for up to 3 years. (They eventually cocoon themselves and stay there for about a month, and once they emerge as winged adults they only live another 1-2 months.)

Size: The antlion larvae are an average of about 1/2 inch fully grown (North American species).

Housing: Anlions do not need an elaborate home - any container with a layer of sand (or even sugar) at least 3 inches deep will do (no lid is necessary for the antlions). If you have more than one antlion, provide enough space so the antlions can space their pits at least two inches apart.

Once the antlions cocoon, cover their home with netting to prevent the adults from escaping, and place a stick or small branch upright in the sand to provide a perch for the newly emerged adult.

What are Those Pits?: Antlions dig a pit in the sand that looks like a cone, and is actually quite an engineering marvel. It is sloped just right that once an ant or other insect falls in, the sloped walls become unstable and the prey slides to the bottom of the pit, where the antlion lays in wait to kill the prey. Antlions have even been observed flicking grains of sand at the walls as if trying to destabilize the slope to make the prey fall down.

Feeding: Many people simple feed ants that they capture around their home. Just drop one into your antlion's pit twice a day. In the months when ants are not abundant, small ("pinhead") crickets or fruit flies can be fed instead.

Antlions on the Web:
Antlion Farms - a great site with well-presented information about antlions (be sure to have a look at the videos). Antlions can be purchased from the site, as well as kits for keeping them (simple kits for kids, educational kits, and zen gardens with antlions).

Antlion Pit - a wealth of information about antlions in general