The BugLady has a wooden pier across the top of the dune that protects her from Lake Michigan. One day, at the end of June, she looked down and had an “Oh, Duh!!!” moment when it finally registered that the little pits in the sand at the top of the dune were the handiwork of a fascinating insect called a doodlebug or antlion.
Adult antlions resemble damselflies with long, clubbed antennae. They fold their wings over their backs at rest (when they are alive…), and they are weak, nocturnal flyers that are attracted to lights. Spotted-winged Antlions are found in the southeastern two-thirds if the U.S., as far north as Iowa and New Hampshire, west to Arizona. The pink band on its pointed antennae is diagnostic, as are the random, round splotches on its wings.