Doodlebug

[Tn Gizmo]

I had a visitor yesterday afternoon I don't remember ever seeing anything like this. (photos 3 and 4) I searched the internet and finally found that it is an "Antlion" I have know about them most of my life, the larva anyway (photo 2) (called "Doodlebugs" around here) don't think I ever noticed an adult before. As a kid I used to catch them...probably a thing of the past everything is video games now. Mom told me when she was a kid they would sing a song and the doodlebug would come out. I looked for it on the internet found one but its different then the song my mom told me. I guess if you got close enough and your breath caused the sand to fall into the hole/trap (photo 1) they would come out. I always used a twig to make a few grains of sand to fall, making the doodlebug think a insect was falling into its trap. Here is the song I found on the internet just in case someone wants to try it. lol

"Doodlebug" or "Song of the Doodlebug" (U.S., 1928)
Echoing the children's rhymes of American antlion folklore, the lyrics of this song claim that a doodlebug can be enticed out of its hole by putting one's mouth near its pit and singing:

Doodle, doodle, doodle. . . hop up bug!
Doodle, doodle, doodle. . . hop up bug!
That doodle jump up and look all around
and doodle back in the ground.
Originally performed by the Georgia Yellowhammers, the "Song of the Doodlebug" appears on several contemporary folk recordings.

 

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[pat-tekker-cat]

Hey tn gizmo, great pic's and info!

Yeah, ya know it's a boring day, in the shade, under the pole barn, when the entertainment is circling doodlebug holes, just to watch 'em dig it back out!

 

[Tn Gizmo]

Hey tn gizmo, great pic's and info!

Yeah, ya know it's a boring day, in the shade, under the pole barn, when the entertainment is circling doodlebug holes, just to watch 'em dig it back out!

At my age, can't handle too much excitement...Sometimes I slow down a bit and just watch the grass grow.

 

[warsawdaddy]

I thought you were talking about(from the title) the 1940's tiny motorcycle/scooter like my cousin had when he was 5yr old.

 

[Tn Gizmo]

I thought you were talking about(from the title) the 1940's tiny motorcycle/scooter like my cousin had when he was 5yr old.

While I was searching for the song I saw several things that were nicknamed "doodlebug" a bus, Germany's V-1 rocket, and a home made tractor to name a few.

 

[fossis]

Great pic's & story, we used to sing: Doodle bug, Doodle bug, won't you come home,
your house is on fire, & your children all gone.

I have them under my pole barn too Patsy, I try & not step on their holes.

Fossis...........

 

[Tn Gizmo]

Great pic's & story, we used to sing: Doodle bug, Doodle bug, won't you come home,
your house is on fire, & your children all gone.

I have them under my pole barn too Patsy, I try & not step on their holes.

Fossis...........

That is the song I was looking for Thank You...Now Patsy, your challenge is to make a video of yourself singing to the doodlebugs and post it here for all to see

 

[allen]

freaky little creatures !!

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Great pic's & story, we used to sing: Doodle bug, Doodle bug, won't you come home,
your house is on fire, & your children all gone.

I have them under my pole barn too Patsy, I try & not step on their holes.
Fossis...........

Fossis, you won't break no ones' back, if you do step on one. It's ok, honey! LOL!



ptc, in a video, I thought I rounded all those up! oh wait...............
Me in a video! No way man! I like to work from behind the curtain, you know, pay no mind, but toll will be accepted!

 

[Rooter]

In Florida we call the first bug an Ant-lion. They dig shallow conical traps in the sand and wait for an ant or other bug to slide in, then they jump up and grab them. We used to spend hours dropping ants into their traps and watching the action.