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Green lacewing - Chrysopidae
Identifying natural enemies > lacewings > green lacewing
Green lacewing egg

Adults: Pale green body. Large, transparent, pale green wings. Long, thin antennae. Length 12-20 mm. (Above left)

Eggs: Several hundred small eggs per female laid on thin stalks. (Above right: An egg on a stalk compared with a penny. The egg is to the left of the eyebrow.)
 
Larvae: Gray to brown and alligator-like. Large, sickle-shaped mandibles. Head similar in width to the pronotum.

Pupae: Enclosed inside round, silken cocoons attached to plant material. Some species pupate in the soil. 		Green lacewing larva Green lacewing pupa
  Larva Pupa
 
Diet: Larvae eat aphids, caterpillars, beetle larvae and insect eggs. Adults may feed on insects or pollen, depending on species.
 
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This information was developed for the publication Identifying Natural Enemies in Field Crops by Mary Gardiner, Christina DiFonzo, Michael Brewer and Takuji Noma, MSU Extension bulletin E2949.
The MSU IPM Program maintains this site as an access point to pest management information at MSU. The IPM Program is administered within the Department of Entomology, fueled by research from the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, delivered to citizens through MSU Extension, and proud to be a part of Project GREEEN.
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12/21/06