Yesterday, an image left Tuscon locals baffled as someone showed a cluster of small holes in the ground. Supposedly, this was taken in their backyard and this strange phenomenon had only recently started happening. As seen in the image below, these were a number of small, perfectly round circles which seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Thankfully, there’s actually a simple explanation regarding these circles. Sadly, it’s nothing too exciting either, so theories of aliens or the paranormal are way off. Instead, it turns out that these shapes are made by Antlions (also known as Doodlebugs).

The reason why Antlions make these circles is to burrow into the ground. Basically, they use their large pincers to dig and then hide out underground. In fact, they’re pretty cool looking creatures and can be found in hotter, dessert climates such as Tuscon.

This brings us to the next question, should you be concerned if your hard has Antlions? On the contrary, Antlions are actually beneficial to the environment and many people enjoy having them. This is because they don’t harm plants or property, while simultaneously also killing pests such as flies and similar insects. In other words, they’re kind of like spiders but are less creepy.

This means that if you see a similar sight in the future, then you shouldn’t panic. In fact, you should be quite pleased due to the numerous benefits that Antlions can bring to your yard.