Myrmeleon immaculatus

Carnivorous Pit-Trapping Antlions don’t hunt their prey; they don’t ambush. They wait for meat items to stumble into their excavated conical pits that measure around 3/4 - 2" wide and 1/2" deep.

The handiwork of Pit-Trapping Antlions is becoming obvious in dry soil in Ohio. The antlions excavate a funnel-shaped pit, measuring around 3/4 - 2" wide and 1/2" deep, with the antlion buried at the bottom.

Pit-trapping antlions (Myrmeleon immaculatus, family Myrmeleontidae) have long been one of my favorite insects. My fascination is shared with fellow antlion enthusiast, Ron Wilson (Natorp's Nursery Outlet & Landscaping, Mason, OH), who has had a thriving private stock of antlions in his home landscape for years. He always lets me know when pits appear meaning the antlions are starting to roar.

Last season, I posted a BYGL Alert titled, “Antlions Roar Again!” [Sept. 25, 2020] in which I described finding a large group of pit-trapping antlions (Myrmeleon immaculatus, family Myrmeleontidae) in southwest Ohio. I lamented that the last time I saw a sizable collection of these fascinating sit-and-wait predators in Greater Cincinnati was in 2017.

The last time I saw a sizable collection of pit-trapping antlions (Myrmeleon immaculatus, family Myrmeleontidae) in southwest Ohio was in 2017. The conical pits created by one of my favorite insects have been a rarity since then. That’s why I was thrilled to come across large numbers of pits today in Sharon Woods which is part of Great Parks of Hamilton County in the southwest part of the state.