Green Lacewings- Chrysoperla carnea

Lacewings (Chrysoperla carnea) are the natural enemy of aphids, mites, whiteflies, mealybugs, leafhoppers and thrips.  Lacewing adults are beautiful and elegant with bright metallic gold eyes and lacy, transparent, pale green wings from which they get their name. The adults themselves are not predaceous, but in their larval phase they are voracious aphid eaters. Also known as ‘Aphid Lions’ the 3/8” long grayish-brown larvae can consume as many as 1,000 aphids a day! They use their sickle-shaped mandibles to seize and devour their prey. Although they have a rather short lifecycle they will produce multiple generations during a single growing season. Their eggs are unique and recognizable. Each tiny pale green egg is borne on a hair-like stalk clustered on the undersides of leaves and tree bark.