Playing in the sandbox...

Dr. Devetak working in the lab.

Picture of our experimental set-up

The research that I am conducting with Dušan Devetak at the University of Maribor involves investigating the substrate in which antlion larvae choose to build their pits. We are particularly interested in the relationship between the proportions of particle sizes of the substrate the larvae are naturally found relative to what they choose in the lab if given a range of choices. There are two species of antlion that live in the hills around Maribor. In April we will go collect both species and introduce them to “cakes” that we create with eight choices of substrate (sand) particle size. We will compare the larvae choice with samples from pits created in their natural habitat. We will also look at pit-building decisions in the presence of competition. This study will be repeated with a North American antlion, Myrmeleon immaculatus, that I will send to Dušan from Maine this summer. Right now we are running trials with 12 antlion larvae that Dušan brought back from Yemen this winter. Dušan and I are always joking that we are like children playing in the sandbox!