In the animal kingdom the ability to change from
an immature form to an adult is called metamorphosis. We all know
of the caterpillar's changing into a beautiful butterfly or a
maggot's becoming a common housefly, but there is one insect that
indeed makes a "Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde" transformation.
It is the common ant-lion.
It gets its name from the larva stage when it
is a most fierce looking and acting predator of ants and other
small insects. At this stage it has a short fleshy body with six
legs and disproportionately large caliper-like jaws armed with
strong spikes and bristles to help grasp its prey. It builds a
very spectacular and complex trap in the loose soil. This "pit-trap,"
constructed by an elaborate series of backward circular motions,
ends up becoming cone shaped and about 1/2 inch deep. The ant-lion
sits at the bottom of the pit with its jaws exposed waiting for
a luckless ant or other insect to slide down the side into its
waiting jaws. If an insect tries to climb out before reaching
the bottom, the larva flips sand and dirt up to knock the victim
to the bottom. It is truly a beast when it comes to catching its
prey, but that is only half of its life - for yet to come is the
beauty.
A truly remarkable change occurs with this insect
as it changes from the larva to an adult. When the larva has eaten
enough food to grow sufficiently, it begins its change into a
thing of beauty. By undergoing a complete breakdown of its internal
organs, it emerges from the pupa as one of the most graceful of
God's creations. The large lace wings of the adult allow it to
fly with a very fluid motion. The arrangement of colors gives
this insect a striking beauty that rivals that of any insect in
the world. And so, this lowly creature has made the transformation
from beast to beauty.
The ability to go through these remarkable changes
is one of the gems of God's creation, and plagues evolutionary
scientists because it is unexplainable in terms of natural selection.
If we exclude the intelligence of a grand designer, it is impossible
to explain how the ant-lion or any other insect knows how to undergo
metamorphosis. Rt. 1 Box 116A, Belington, WV 26250.