Doodlebugs

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Growing up we looked for things to do. Played in the dirt. In the mud. And in the rain. The dirtier we got, the happier we were. Good times. Another pastime was playing with the Doodlebugs. They would make small holes in the sand. We would get pine straw, put it down the hole and wait. The pines straw would move and we would pull out a doodlebug. No idea what we did then, I guess moved on to the next Doodlebug hole. I did not know until recently what these bugs were doing. I found out these cool facts. Doodlebugs, as they refer to an actual bug, are associated with ant lions in their larval form. These little bugs, who mostly live in loose sand where they create pit traps, earned their nicknames not because of their unintentional drawings. When the ants move through the sand, their butts drag behind them, leaving behind scribbly little trails. Kind of cool right! Pixabay photo. Have you heard of the Doodlebug before? Ever seen one?