Antlion: The Sand Vortex
Sandy habitats worldwide contain insect larvae that engineer deadly pitfall traps. The antlion digs perfectly conical pits in loose soil, waiting buried at the bottom with only its jaws exposed. When ants or small insects stumble on the edge, the sloping sides give way, sliding them toward the hidden predator. The antlion throws sand to destabilize victims trying to climb out. Once captured, prey gets dragged underground and drained of fluids through hollow jaws.