December 2022 • Nebraskaland 33
the entrance and snag any potential prey that wanders too
close. As adults, many tiger beetles have a shiny metallic
sheen and use their speed and quickness to pursue and
capture prey within the broad expanses of sand.
In addition to blowout residents, lots of other animals visit
blowouts to enjoy the warmth of the sand, take advantage
of the open vistas (easy-to-spot prey or watch for potential
threats), or for other reasons. Toads, for example, are
commonly seen around blowouts, which helps explain why
the toad-eating hognose snake is also a frequent visitor.
Butterfl ies often hang out in the bare sand, too, either
basking in the sun or, sometimes, picking up minerals from
the sand or manure of other visitors. Lots of beetles make
tracks across the bare ground as well, including some species
that roll and bury balls of dung in the loose substrate.
Several species of band-winged grasshoppers are often
hanging around in blowouts. It's easy to see why when you
look at their camoufl aged bodies, which blend perfectly with
bare sand. When sitting still, a band-winged grasshopper
is almost impossible to spot until it moves. As adults, they
can fl y to escape predators, often displaying colorful wings
and making a loud clacking sound that helps distract
anything trying to catch them. If they can cause enough of a
distraction, they can then quickly land in a new location and
disappear into the background once more.
Robber fl ies are essentially six-legged, surface-to-air
missiles with huge eyes. They are commonly found in
blowouts, where they sit quietly until a small insect fl ies
into the air nearby, at which point the robber fl y instantly
Hognose snakes are often seen in blowouts, probably because of the abundance of toads — their favorite food.
Many wasp species dig nest burrows in the middle of
blowouts.
