Under a very low magnification of 13X, this digitally-colorized scanning electron micrograph depicted the entire ventral surface of the larval staged antlion, sometime referred to as a doodlebugs, because of the trails they leave in the soft sand as they hunt for prey. These arthropods, i.e., jointed legs, undergo dramatic morphologic changes when it metamorphoses into a beautiful flying antlion lacewing. Note the large mandibles to the right, which are used to apprehend prey that unwittingly fall into the conical sand trap constructed by this carnivorous larva. You'll also note the presence of numerous “hairs covering virtually the entire exoskeletal surface. Reffered to as setae, these are not the hairs that are common to mammals, but are composed of chitin, as is the exoskeleton itself, and are sensorial in nature, providing the insect larva with environmental data, including tempurature, tactile stimuli, and chemical changes.
