Pretty Little Visitor

  Early this morning, the garden was in dire need of a bit of water.  As I was doing my best to save the plants, I caught sight of something in the window of the living room. Well, now this needed to be investigated.  The hose was attached to the sprinkler and I dragged the ladder to the window.  Since our house sits about three feet above the ground and I am quite short, that ladder is used often.  Once I was up almost to the top rung of the step ladder, I realized that it was a moot point.  What I thought was a critter stuck between the window screen and the actual window was really inside the house!  Down the ladder I went.

  Inside, I gently pulled back the curtain to find a beautiful adult antlion!  These thing always give me a thrill as I rarely see them.  "Oh, my!  Little one, you cannot stay in here."  After a few photos, I eased my hand next to the antlion and it readily climbed aboard.  Well, that was easy.  Slowly, ever so slowly, I made my way to the door.  I surely did not want to frighten the poor thing so it took flight.  Adult antlions are rather delicate creatures and catching it while the creature fluttered about could injure it.  Still, it needed to be outside.  So..the door was opened and I stepped outside.  The critter stayed put on my hand.  "Ok, you can go now!  Fly away!  You are free!"  Nope.  The bug did not want to leave my hand.  Finally, after much coaxing and a gentle nudge, the sweet antlion took off in its whirlygig type flight.  It flew to the eaves of the house and landed.  

  This antlion is known as a Glenurus gratus or Tree-dwelling Antlion.  The common name comes from the fact that the larvae live in nooks of trees instead of making funnel-shaped traps in sand.  The larvae eat ants and other critters that climb about in trees while the adults feast mainly on caterpillars and aphids.  This adult antlion is one of my favorites because I rarely get to see an insect with pink wing tips!  The pretty little visitor does need to stay outside, however!