Interesting article about antlions, with a good video (after the ad) showing an antlion constructing its trap.

When I was a kid in Missouri, I occasionally amused myself by plunging an old teaspoon into an antlion trap to capture the critter. Then I’d drop it into the trap of another antlion. How the dirt would fly! For a minute or so. Then all quiet, after one had prevailed.

“By using a spiral digging method, antlions separate and remove large grains of sand from small ones, creating a cone shaped trap lined only with the smaller sized grains.

The finer sand makes the ground unstable and creatures straying to the edge of the trap quickly lose their footing and slide in.

Like something from a horror movie, the antlion lies in wait at the bottom of the trap, ready to grab the prey in hook-like mandibles and drain its bodily fluids…”

https://mol.im/a/6855077

Spent many an afternoon playing with them. Aggressive little things. Still have a bunch around the yard.

I too spent time studying “doodle bug” behavior.

Always considered them one of the few cool/friendly bugs to have around as a kid. Tricking them to thinking an ant was in their trap was kind of like fishing, though I never tried to actually get a hold of one. I was happy just to see them fling dirt/sand.

I used to keep them in a peanut butter jar and feed them half squashed ants.