Hiding in the Shadows

Science

This is the story of the ant and its predator, the antlion larva. The antlion larva digs a pit in the sand and waits beneath it. When an ant mistakenly falls in, the antlion is quick to catch it with its sickle-like mandibles. The slippery walls of the sand pit make it hard for the prey to climb out and the antlion vigorously flicks sand onto those that try. Once the ant is captured, the antlion sucks its insides, throws out the remains and assumes back its position, hiding in the shadows for the next prey (Crowley and Linton, Ecology, 80(7), 1999, pp. 2271–2282).

Method

This is a sketch made using fine liners of different widths on cartridge paper. The idea was born from an Inktober prompt (Trap!), but the actual sketch is from imagination, with some help from the internet for the insect details.

Bio

Sahana Sitaraman is a writer and amateur illustrator who lives in Switzerland. She loves to bring stories of science to the public, be it with words or imagery. She particularly enjoys creating artwork that helps the viewer imagine complex concepts. In her free time, Sahana can be found out on a hike or engrossed in a documentary on TV.