Identification
• Adults are bright green with a slender body and transparent, green-veined
(lacy) wings. The wings are held tentlike over the body when at rest.
Lacewings are about 3/4 inch long with long thin antennae.
• The immatures are called aphid lions and are light-colored, mottled,
about 1/2 inch long, with large, sickle-shaped mouthparts.
Host Range
• Both adult and immature lacewings feed on aphids or other soft-bodied
prey (mites, thrips, or whiteflies) and also eat pollen and honeydew.
Life Cycle
• Lacewings have complete metamorphosis. Eggs are usually laid on a
long stalk that elevates them above a leaf surface. Development from egg
to adult takes about 1 month and most species have 1 to 10 generations/year.
Other Information
• Some adult lacewings do not feed.