Foraging strategy switching in an antlion larva

► An antlion species that uses a mixed strategy in which it switches between pit-trapping and ambushing strategies was considered. ► The behavioural rule that the antlion uses to switch between the two strategies was examined. ► An ecological model was built, and its predictions were experimentally tested. ► The antlion flexibly switches between the strategies to maximize its fitness by balancing the cost (i.e., predation risk) and benefit (i.e., foraging success) of the two strategies.