What kind of insect - critter -- makes this hole in my landscape bark? - Myrmeleon

Moved

… Charley Eiseman, 26 July, 2013 - 9:23am

antlions!!

They are antlions!

Even tried it out...

Fascinating!!!

Then I was concerned - is this a sign of termite infestation? I looked into it and read that apparently - NO it is not -- they eat all sorts of bugs!

… swimmy, 22 July, 2013 - 12:49pm

Sciurus?

Do you have squirrels? Tree squirrels leave such holes when they retrieve buried food.

Some insects -- wormlions and antlions -- dig pits like that, but they use sand rather than bark.

… John F. Carr, 9 July, 2013 - 8:15pm

I think antlion (Myrmeleon sp.) is plausible/likely

There shouldn't be any wormlions in Washington. The substrate appears fine-grained enough for an antlion larva to have made this, and there is often a row of antlion pits along the side of a house.
Here's an example of an antlion pit in mulch:

… Charley Eiseman, 22 July, 2013 - 12:28pm

Yes -- but

Hi, I just did a google image search on squirrel holes -- The difference is that these holes do not really go anywhere -- they are more like "indentations." If you still think so, feel free to inform.

… swimmy, 9 July, 2013 - 9:42pm

Different holes

Squirrels like to live in holes. Ground squirrels (including chipmunks and marmots) dig tunnels underground. Tree squirrels use natural cavities in trees, or build leaf nests if no hole is available.

Ground squirrels also store food in tunnels.

Some tree squirrels, including gray and fox squirrels, dig shallow holes a few inches deep to store food. They cover the hole when storing food and leave it open after retrieving food. Your crater looks like this kind.

Other tree squirrels, such as the pine squirrel (American red squirrel, Tamiasciurus) make piles of pine cones above ground and do not leave craters in your lawn.

… John F. Carr, 10 July, 2013 - 7:47am

Yes - we have squirrels

Wow, that is amazing! I sure didn't know that! I wonder if that's why numerous holes keep showing up... We changed the bark and added plastic at some time, and I wonder if they just can't find their food? That is fascinating!

… swimmy, 9 July, 2013 - 9:40pm