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green lacewing
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Lacewing Junk collector
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Lacewing
Lacewing Adult green lacewing (Chrysopa species).

green lacewing

insect
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History
Taxonomy

See also list of insects.

green lacewing, (family Chrysopidae), family of 85 genera and around 2,000 species of insects that are characterized by a complex network of wing veins that give them a lacy appearance. Green lacewings are distributed nearly worldwide and are common near grasses and shrubs. Given their voracious appetites for garden pests, particularly aphids, green lacewing larvae are considered beneficial and are encouraged as a form of biological control.

Physical description

The green lacewing has long delicate antennae, a slender greenish body, golden- or copper-colored eyes, and two pairs of similar veined wings. Adults are generally 1 to 1.5 cm (0.4 to 0.6 inches) in length. The adult green lacewing is also known as a stinkfly because it emits a disagreeable odor as a protective device.

Life cycle

Junk collector
Junk collectorA green lacewing larva sporting a pouf of downy plant fibers. Known as “trash bugs” or “junk bugs,” the larvae of the family Chrysopidae camouflage themselves with a range of debris available from their environment.

The female green lacewing secretes slender stalks and deposits one egg on top of each stalk. This prevents the predatory larvae from devouring unhatched eggs. The larva, often called an aphidlion, has prominent sucking mouthparts and well-developed legs. These capture and drain body fluids from aphids and other soft-bodied insects. Although many lacewing larvae are nocturnal and need no camouflage, some, known as trash bugs or junk bugs, hold debris (including the bodies of their victims) on their backs with hooks or bristles. This camouflage allows the lacewing larva to surprise its victims and also protects it from enemies. After about two weeks of continuous feeding, the larva spins a silken, pearl-sized cocoon on the underside of a leaf and remains in the pupal case approximately two weeks before emerging as an adult.

(Read Britannica’s list Insects That Wear Things)

Members of the genera Chrysopa and Chrysoperla are common in North America and Europe.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.