Variation in pit size of antlion (Myrmeleon carolinus) larvae: The importance of pit construction

Larvae of several antlions build pits that vary in size across and within species. The influence of food limitation and pit building experience on variation in pit size of the larvae of Myrmeleon carolinus was investigated in the laboratory. Unfed larvae that were allowed to build pits had smaller pit diameters than fed larvae. However, fed antlions that had been previously prevented from pit building, initially did not build larger pits than unfed antlion larvae that, too, had been prevented from pit building. Therefore, physiological constraints associated with food limitation alone are not sufficient to explain the reduction in pit size of food limited antlions of this species.