Brown lacewing

July 30, 2015

Hemerobiidae

Adults

Reddish brown, thin body. Large, membranous, brown wings. Long antennae and a long, thin body. Smaller than the green lacewing.

Brown lacewing

Eggs

Several hundred oval eggs per female, laid on the undersides of leaves; eggs not on stalks like green lacewing eggs.

Brown lacewing egg

Larvae

Similar in appearance to green lacewing larvae, except head is similar in width to the pronotum. Gray to brown and alligator-like. Large, sickle-shaped mandibles.

Brown lacewing larvae

Pupae

Pupation occurs inside a light brown, loosely woven cocoon on plant material.

Brown lacewing pupae

Diet

Larvae and adults feed on aphids, caterpillars, beetle larvae and insect eggs.

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