Doodlebug

We have some sandy patches around the house and I noticed recently several doodlebug holes. I hadn't paid much attention to them since I'm usually on the lookout for more dangerous things on the ground.

Doodlebugs remind me of my childhood when we would visit my grandmother in East Texas in the summer. All the yards had doodlebug holes. I can't even remember when I first noticed them, or who taught me how to get them to come out and play. If you take a small stick and stir the hole, the doodlebug will emerge enough to catch a glimpse. If you check later, it will have formed another perfect cone hole.

Doodlebugs are actually the Antlion insect in the larvae stage. They burrow in soft ground and make a cone-like hole, waiting for maturity when they turn into a lace winged insect and fly away.

I couldn't remember the little rhyme we used to say, so I did a little searching and found a few popular rhymes, all of which have something to do with coming out of their hole because some terrible thing is happening. Here's one:

Doodlebug, Doodlebug, fly away home.
Your house is on fire and your kids are all gone.

You can read more here.