# Ant Lion



## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

Hey there,
Just wondering if these are easy to get hold of? Would like one but don't know who would even have them for sale and if anyone has had one before what is their care like? 
Thanks


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## MattsZoo (Oct 27, 2011)

I just googled..... Ew! lol


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

haha they don't look too bad if they were bigger they would though lol


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## Ged (Nov 9, 2009)

I'm sure there is a species native to England/Ireland, I remember it from a nature documentary. Made by you could try and find one? I've never seen them for sale before.


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## geckodelta (Dec 11, 2008)

here Ant Lion - Myrmeleon species these guys occasionally get them in : victory:


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

I didn't even know we have native Ant Lions so I wouldn't even know where to start lol, and thanks for the link mate will contact them sometime.


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## Timor (Oct 21, 2009)

Possibly worth a try? AntLionDen.com - Antlions, Doodlebugs, Ant Lion Zen Dens & Science Projects - Buy AntLions


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

Thanks for the link, was just reading the life cycle bit on there, apparently when they turn adult if kept in captivity they could die due to losing energy? But how would that be any different from if they were in the wild? Sorry if that's a stupid question but before this thread didn't even know they changed at all.


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## Harbinger (Dec 20, 2008)

I've wanted one for a few years now, never seen them for sale anyway, i think Marting Goss had some in once apparantly.


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

Yeah I seen a video of one a couple years ago but only just thought of getting one, would be interesting seeing it go from larva to adult though.


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

I think some South African stock-lists have ant Lions on, just importers likely don't bother with odd insects like that.


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

yes they are pretty odd, it's always the odder things that seem alot harder to get, i'm sure one will pop up sometime though.


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

KentuckyFrogler101 said:


> Hey there,
> Just wondering if these are easy to get hold of? Would like one but don't know who would even have them for sale and if anyone has had one before what is their care like?
> Thanks


You could contact Martin Goss, he has had them in before.

His site is on Google.

Hope that helps


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## kris74 (May 10, 2011)

Like the sarlac pit for jedi ants....


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

Never wanted one, however, the substrate would be important, I would imagine - perhaps just right enough for it to construct a collapsable trap/burrow.

Also, they do seem to exclusivey eat ants, so unless you had a ready supply of ants, then you would have to try some other ant sized bug.

And you would never see it.


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

Haha at the sarlac pit comment, and thanks Mister for your comments will contact Martin sometime about them, I wasn't too sure if they ate anything other than ants but I guess Martin will know. and I wouldn't mind not seeing them at all, I keep mostly fossorial tarantulas so am use to not seeing them.


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

KentuckyFrogler101 said:


> Haha at the sarlac pit comment, and thanks Mister for your comments will contact Martin sometime about them, I wasn't too sure *if they ate anything other than ants but I guess Martin will know*. and I wouldn't mind not seeing them at all, I keep mostly fossorial tarantulas so am use to not seeing them.


Just had a look for you, and yes, it seems that they would pretty much eat an insect of comparable size, like micro cricket perhaps, or small spiders was also mentioned (in the wild).

They look like fleas.


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

*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 (Doodlebugs)


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

Ok, thanks for looking, and they usually remind of those stag beetles lol


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

KentuckyFrogler101 said:


> Ok, thanks for looking, and they usually remind of those stag beetles lol


They don't remind me on any stag beetle I've seen!

I did not realise that this is merely the larvae.

Remain that way for three years, then become winged and adult.

*What does that look like*

Like this, it seems

Redirect Notice


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

haha I think it's because of the pincer kind of things, and yeah I read about them going from larva to adult yesterday. Thought the larva was how they are through out their whole life, and from what I read the adults don't last long in captivity due to losing energy but I don't really understand how that works? Surely they'd lose just as much energy out in the wild?


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

KentuckyFrogler101 said:


> haha I think it's because of the pincer kind of things, and yeah I read about them going from larva to adult yesterday. Thought the larva was how they are through out their whole life, and from what I read the *adults don't last long in captivity due to losing energy but I don't really understand how that works? Surely they'd lose just as much energy out in the wild*?


Not if they are flying inside something, they tire out I would guess.

Put a bee in a jar, and it often dies from the exhaustion.

I guess you could let it go, if it reached adulthood, if it had a chance of thriving, in these climes?


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

Ahhh right, and yeah where I read about the exhaustion it said you could let them go but it was an american website so not too sure how they'd do outside over here. But in a bigger enclosure could they last longer then? Such as a chameleon cage?


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

KentuckyFrogler101 said:


> Ahhh right, and yeah where I read about the exhaustion it said you could let them go but it was an american website so *not too sure how they'd do outside over here*. But in a bigger enclosure could they last longer then? Such as a chameleon cage?


If conditions are v different to those of their origin, not v well, plus it is usually not a good idea to release non native animals into the wilds.

My guess is that it may not even make that three years anyway, but then you would have to ask someone that has kept them, maybe they do.


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

Yeah I wouldn't think of releasing any non native animal, but as someone said earlier in the thread there is a native species or a species somewhere in Europe atleast, aswell as other species living in North America. Not sure if they're species from other countries though.


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

KentuckyFrogler101 said:


> Yeah I wouldn't think of releasing any non native animal, but as someone said earlier in the thread there is a native species or a species somewhere in Europe atleast, aswell as other species living in North America. Not sure if they're species from other countries though.


Even if it was not native, I doubt the World would stop, if it did get out!

My feeling is that three years for some inverts, is a long time, and that it might be the sort of invert that dies easily, and would never make it to maturity, anyway. Not every larvae does - that is nature.

Maybe even less so in captivity.

Why these?


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

Haha yeah, and I just find these interesting, never owned anything that changes from larva to adult, would be cool to see it change.


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

KentuckyFrogler101 said:


> Haha yeah, and I just find these interesting, *never owned anything that changes from larva to adult*, would be cool to see it change.


Try some maggots.



Seriously though, how about some beetle grubs, of the larger species?

If that's what you want to see.


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

I was thinking of some kind of beetle, but the ones I like are the massive ones like the Hercules (I am interested in other large beetles just can't remember the names of the other ones) but they don't seem to come up for sale often.


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

KentuckyFrogler101 said:


> I was thinking of some kind of beetle, but the ones I like are the massive ones like the Hercules (I am interested in other large beetles just can't remember the names of the other ones) but they don't seem to come up for sale often.


The grubs often are.

There used to be a fella that sold adults and grubs, that advertised in the classified sections on here.


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

Ahh right, I found an L3 Hercules grub, i'll have to get some info on how to keep them.


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

KentuckyFrogler101 said:


> Ahh right, I found an L3 Hercules grub, i'll have to get some info on how to keep them.


The grubs are pretty easy to care for, KF.

I've had some fantastic large beetles, including a pair of lovely stag beetles, an atlas beetle, and one whose name I cannot recall, but it had fabulous rainbow colouration.


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

Ahh right i've read so far that the grubs eat rotten wood and rotten leaves. I assume deep substrate aswell, but what size after the grubs pupated would the adult beetle need? and do you have an idea of lifespan? I guess they don't last long when adult?
Cheers


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

KentuckyFrogler101 said:


> Ahh right i've read so far that the grubs eat rotten wood and rotten leaves. I assume deep substrate aswell, but what size after the grubs pupated would the adult beetle need? *and do you have an idea of lifespan? I guess they don't last long when adult*?
> Cheers


We're talking months, in my experience.

They live for most of their life as grubs.

What else do you have, at the moment?


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

ahhh, I may well think about possibly attempting to breed a species in that case but will have to do more research. If you mean beetles I haven't kept any before, but if you mean any other animals I have a shed full of spiders, snakes, frogs etc.


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

KentuckyFrogler101 said:


> ahhh, I may well think about possibly attempting to breed a species in that case but will have to do more research. If you mean beetles I haven't kept any before, but if you mean any *other animals I have a shed full of spiders, snakes, frogs etc*.


What specifically though?


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

Horned frogs, Bullfrog, Budgett's frog, Tomato frog, Royal Python, Carpet Python, Burmese Python, Taiwanese Beauty Snake, Milk Snake, Boa Constrictor, The Spiders i've got are mostly the nasty ones like Selenocosmia species, H. Lividum, H. Mac etc. Yemen and Jackson's Chameleons, Bearded Dragon, Velvet Worms, Centipede, a couple Tortoises


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

KentuckyFrogler101 said:


> Horned frogs, Bullfrog, Budgett's frog, Tomato frog, Royal Python, Carpet Python, Burmese Python, Taiwanese Beauty Snake, Milk Snake, Boa Constrictor, The Spiders i've got are mostly the nasty ones like Selenocosmia species, H. Lividum, H. Mac etc. Yemen and Jackson's Chameleons, Bearded Dragon, Velvet Worms, Centipede, a couple Tortoises


Kept busy with that lot then!


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## KentuckyFrogler101 (Jul 15, 2010)

haha yeah keeps me occupied most of the time


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## Slashware (Dec 20, 2009)

this guy here seems to keep lionants :whistling2:


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## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

Slashware said:


> this guy here seems to keep lionants :whistling2:


The fella seriously needs to revisit his wardrobe and a good barber!

The effects these fictional creatures were having, they remind me a lot of this...

Body Invaders - YouTube


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