Lacewings & Antlions
Order Neuroptera
Delicate insects with large, veined wings. Lacewing larvae are voracious predators of aphids, while antlion larvae build conical sand traps.
Species in this Order (117)
African Green Lacewing
Chrysoperla congrua
A widespread African lacewing found in sub-Saharan savannas and farmland. Plays an important role in...
African Mantidfly
Sagittalata olivacea
A greenish African mantidfly found in woodland and bushveld habitats. Like all mantidflies, it has d...
African Predatory Lacewing
Chrysopa pudica
A robust lacewing found across tropical Africa in forested and cultivated areas. Adults and larvae b...
American Dustywing
Conwentzia californica
A tiny western North American dustywing found on fruit trees and ornamental plants. Valued as a natu...
American Owlfly
Ululodes quadripunctatus
A dragonfly-like neuropteran with split eyes and long knobbed antennae. It catches small insects on ...
Angular Brown Lacewing
Wesmaelius nervosus
A widespread brown lacewing with strong wing venation patterns. Found across much of the Northern He...
Antlion
Myrmeleon formicarius
Larvae build conical sand pit traps to catch ants and other small insects. The larva waits buried at...
Australian Antlion
Myrmeleon acer
A medium-sized antlion common in sandy habitats across Australia. Its larvae construct classic conic...
Australian Mantidfly
Campion australis
An Australian mantidfly found in eucalyptus forests and dry woodland. Adults are nocturnal and attra...
Australian Owlfly
Suhpalacsa flavipes
A large Australian owlfly with smoky wings and yellow legs. Active at dusk in open eucalyptus woodla...
Australian Spoonwing
Chasmoptera hutti
One of the few Australian nemopterids, with distinctive elongated hindwings. Found in arid and semi-...
Banded Antlion
Glenurus gratus
A North American antlion with distinctive banded wing patterns. Commonly attracted to porch lights o...
Beaded Lacewing
Lomamyia latipennis
A small lacewing whose larvae live inside termite nests and prey on the termite workers. Adults have...
Brazilian Antlion
Myrmeleon brasiliensis
A common South American antlion found in sandy cerrado and caatinga habitats. Its larval pit traps d...
Brazilian Owlfly
Cordulecerus alopecinus
A neotropical owlfly with bushy-tipped antennae found in South American cerrado and forest edges. Ad...
Cape Antlion
Crambomorphus sinuatus
A southern African antlion found in fynbos and sandy coastal areas. Its larvae inhabit loose sand in...
Cape Spoonwing
Palmipenna aeoleoptera
A South African nemopterid with broad, paddle-shaped hindwings. One of the most spectacular insects ...
Chilean Green Lacewing
Chrysoperla externa
The most common green lacewing in South America with a broad distribution. Extensively used for biol...
Chinese Antlion
Euroleon sinicus
An East Asian antlion found in sandy habitats across China and neighboring countries. Its larvae con...
Common Antlion
Myrmeleon immaculatus
A delicate lacewing-like insect whose larvae are famous pit-trap predators. Adults are nocturnal and...
Common Brown Lacewing
Hemerobius humulinus
A small brownish lacewing with mottled wings commonly found on deciduous trees. Adults and larvae bo...
Common Spongillafly
Sisyra fuscata
A small dark lacewing whose larvae are aquatic parasitoids of freshwater sponges. One of the few neu...
Comstock's Green Lacewing
Chrysopa comanche
A medium-sized green lacewing native to the American Southwest. Frequently found in arid scrubland a...
Conifer Brown Lacewing
Hemerobius pini
A small brown lacewing closely associated with pine trees across Europe. Larvae are specialist preda...
Creoleon Antlion
Creoleon plumbeus
A robust Mediterranean antlion with lead-grey coloring on the thorax. Found in dry, warm habitats ac...
Dalmatian Spongillafly
Sisyra dalii
A rare spongillafly described from the eastern Mediterranean region. Associated with clean freshwate...
Dark Spongillafly
Sisyra nigra
A small blackish lacewing found near European freshwater habitats. Adults are nocturnal and attracte...
Desert Antlion
Brachynemurus abdominalis
A large antlion species common in desert regions of North America. Unlike some relatives, its larvae...
Desert Lacewing
Chrysoperla comanche
A pale green lacewing adapted to arid environments of the American Southwest. Both adults and larvae...
Dicromantispa Mantidfly
Dicromantispa sayi
A brown mantidfly found across eastern North America in forested habitats. Named after the eminent e...
Dobsonfly
Corydalus cornutus
Large insects with intimidating mandibles in males that are actually too large to bite effectively. ...
Downes' Green Lacewing
Chrysoperla downesi
A conifer-associated green lacewing that retains its green color through winter. Unlike relatives, i...
Dune Spoonwing
Halter halteratus
A small nemopterid with spoon-tipped hindwings found in coastal Mediterranean habitats. Commonly see...
Dusky Green Lacewing
Chrysopa dorsalis
A green lacewing with a dark dorsal stripe running along the abdomen. Prefers wooded habitats across...
Dustywing
Coniopteryx tineiformis
A tiny moth-like lacewing covered in a white waxy powder that gives it a dusty appearance. It is an ...
Egyptian Spoonwing
Nemoptera aegyptiaca
A North African spoonwing with striking wing patterns and long trailing hindwings. Found in arid hab...
Elegant Brown Lacewing
Sympherobius elegans
A tiny, delicate brown lacewing found in bark crevices of broadleaved trees. One of the smallest hem...
European Antlion
Euroleon nostras
A large neuropteran whose larvae build conical sand pits to trap ants and other small insects. Adult...
Fimble Brown Lacewing
Hemerobius fenestratus
A small brown lacewing with fenestrate wing markings found in boreal forests. Associated with spruce...
Formosan Green Lacewing
Chrysopa formosa
A widespread Asian lacewing often found in lowland habitats. Recognized by dark markings on the face...
Giant African Antlion
Palpares speciosus
A massive African antlion with strikingly marked black-and-yellow wings. One of the largest neuropte...
Giant Green Lacewing
Nothochrysa fulviceps
One of the largest European lacewings with a tawny head and green body. An uncommon species associat...
Giant Lacewing
Osmylus fulvicephalus
One of the largest lacewings in Europe with spotted wings and an orange head. Larvae are semi-aquati...
Giant Lacewing
Polystoechotes punctata
Once widespread across North America, it vanished from the eastern US by the 1950s. A single specime...
Golden-eyed Lacewing
Chrysopa perla
A bright green lacewing with distinctive dark head markings and iridescent golden eyes. Both adults ...
Goldeneye Lacewing
Chrysopa oculata
A common North American green lacewing with prominent golden eyes and a distinctive black head marki...
Green Lacewing
Chrysoperla carnea
Delicate green insects with lace-like wings and golden eyes. Larvae are ferocious predators nickname...
Green Mantidfly
Zeugomantispa minuta
A small green mantidfly found in the southeastern United States. It has enlarged raptorial forelegs ...
Hagen's Dustywing
Coniopteryx hageniana
A minute dustywing found across Europe and known for its effectiveness against orchard mites. Easily...
Hagen's Green Lacewing
Leucochrysa pavida
A large neotropical lacewing with broad wings and pale green coloring. Found from Mexico through Cen...
Iberian Spoonwing
Josandreva sazi
A rare Iberian Peninsula nemopterid found in hot, dry calcareous grasslands. One of Europe's more lo...
Indian Antlion
Myrmecaelurus trigrammus
A medium-sized antlion widespread across southern Asia and the Middle East. Often encountered in san...
Indian Green Lacewing
Chrysoperla zastrowi
A green lacewing commonly found across the Indian subcontinent. Widely studied for biocontrol of cot...
Indian Owlfly
Helicomitus festivus
A tropical Asian owlfly with long antennae and patterned wings. Found along forest edges and clearin...
Indonesian Antlion
Myrmeleon bore
A tropical antlion found across Southeast Asia and the Indo-Malayan archipelago. Its larvae create p...
Italian Owlfly
Libelloides italicus
A handsome owlfly with distinctive half-black, half-yellow hindwings. It is an agile predator of sma...
Japanese Antlion
Hagenomyia micans
A large East Asian antlion with glossy wings and a robust body. A familiar summer insect across Japa...
Japanese Mantidfly
Mantispa japonica
An East Asian mantidfly found in woodlands across Japan and Korea. Recognized by its amber-tinted wi...
Kenyan Green Lacewing
Chrysoperla agilis
A recently described species from the carnea complex found in East African highlands. Occurs in both...
Large Brown Lacewing
Drepanepteryx phalaenoides
The largest European brown lacewing with distinctively hooked wing tips. Resembles a dead leaf when ...
Long-horned Antlion
Distoleon tetragrammicus
A large antlion with intricately patterned wings and long clubbed antennae. Unlike most antlions, th...
Long-Necked Antlion
Palpares libelluloides
One of the largest European antlions with a wingspan exceeding 100 mm and boldly patterned wings. Ad...
Lucasian Green Lacewing
Chrysopa lucasina
A European green lacewing common in Mediterranean olive groves. Important natural enemy of the olive...
Lutescent Brown Lacewing
Hemerobius lutescens
A yellowish-brown lacewing found in European coniferous forests. Strongly associated with spruce and...
Madagascan Green Lacewing
Ankylopteryx octopunctata
A delicate green lacewing found in Madagascan forests with transparent wings. Adults and larvae are ...
Malay Green Lacewing
Mallada basalis
A tropical Asian lacewing with a greenish body and dark wing venation. Commercially reared in Taiwan...
Mantidfly
Mantispa styriaca
A remarkable insect with raptorial forelegs strikingly similar to a praying mantis, a textbook examp...
Mantidfly
Climaciella brunnea
A wasp-mimicking mantidfly with raptorial forelegs and paper-wasp coloration....
Margined Brown Lacewing
Hemerobius marginatus
A European brown lacewing with darkened wing margins found in deciduous woodland. Common but often o...
Mediterranean Green Lacewing
Chrysoperla mediterranea
A cryptic species within the carnea group found in Mediterranean climates. Distinguished from close ...
Mexican Antlion
Vella americana
A robust antlion found across the southern United States and Mexico. Recognized by its large size an...
Nervous Brown Lacewing
Micromus variegatus
A tiny mottled brown lacewing found across the Palearctic region. Despite its small size, it is an e...
Nippon Green Lacewing
Chrysoperla nipponensis
An East Asian member of the carnea species group found in Japan and Korea. Studied extensively for r...
North American Brown Lacewing
Hemerobius ovalis
A common brown lacewing of North American deciduous forests. Frequently encountered on foliage in ea...
North American Spongillafly
Climacia areolaris
A small spongillafly found across eastern North America near fresh water. Its larvae feed on freshwa...
Owlfly
Ascalaphus libelluloides
A striking aerial predator with clubbed antennae and large dragonfly-like eyes. It hunts small flyin...
Owlfly
Libelloides coccajus
Dragonfly-like neuropterans with large eyes and clubbed antennae. Fast aerial predators that catch p...
Pacific Brown Lacewing
Hemerobius pacificus
A brown lacewing native to western North America found in coniferous forests. Important natural enem...
Pale Green Lacewing
Chrysoperla pallida
A light-colored lacewing recently distinguished from the carnea species complex. Identified partly b...
Palpares Antlion
Palpares immensus
An enormous antlion from sub-Saharan Africa with strikingly patterned wings. Among the largest flyin...
Persian Spoonwing
Lertha sheppardi
A Middle Eastern nemopterid found in arid steppe and desert-margin habitats. Adults have beautifully...
Peruvian Antlion
Ameromyia lineata
A neotropical antlion found in dry inter-Andean valleys and coastal deserts. Adapted to extremely ar...
Peruvian Mantidfly
Anchieta fumosella
A South American mantidfly found in Andean cloud forests and tropical lowlands. A secretive species ...
Pleasing Lacewing
Nymphes myrmeleonoides
A large predatory lacewing endemic to Australia with broad patterned wings....
Pleasing Lacewing
Nallachius americanus
A small and uncommon lacewing with feathery antennae in males. Larvae develop under bark feeding on ...
Pleasing Lacewing
Dilar turcicus
A small and rarely seen neuropteran with feathery antennae in males. Larvae live in soil and rotting...
Psocid-like Dustywing
Conwentzia psociformis
A European dustywing named for its resemblance to psocids or booklice. Common on deciduous trees whe...
Ribbon-winged Lacewing
Nemoptera coa
A graceful Aegean lacewing with long ribbon-like hindwings and patterned forewings. Found on dry, fl...
Saharan Antlion
Neuroleon nemausiensis
A slender antlion found across the Mediterranean and North Africa. Adults fly at dusk and are attrac...
Seven-spotted Green Lacewing
Chrysopa septempunctata
A green lacewing marked with seven dark spots on its head. Common across Europe and temperate Asia i...
Signate Green Lacewing
Mallada signatus
An Australian native lacewing commercially available for garden pest control. One of few lacewings s...
Silky Lacewing
Psychopsis illidgei
A beautiful Australian lacewing with large, rounded wings covered in intricate patterns resembling t...
Silky Lacewing
Psychopsis insolens
A large lacewing with broad, butterfly-like wings marked with intricate patterns. It is a living fos...
Small Brown Lacewing
Micromus angulatus
A tiny brown lacewing native to southern Europe and North Africa. Found in low herbaceous vegetation...
South African Owlfly
Tmesibasis lacerata
A large African owlfly with intricately patterned wings and prominent clubbed antennae. Active durin...
Split-banded Owlfly
Ascaloptynx appendiculatus
A striking North American owlfly with a bold dark band across each forewing. Inhabits dry grasslands...
Split-Footed Lacewing
Nymphes myrmeleonides
A large Australian lacewing with a wingspan up to 70 mm and distinctive bilobed tarsi. Adults are no...
Spoonwing Lacewing
Nemoptera bipennis
A graceful insect with spatula-shaped hindwing extensions, giving it an ethereal appearance in fligh...
Spotted-Winged Antlion
Dendroleon pantherinus
A large antlion with distinctive spotted wings found in old-growth forests. Its larvae hide in tree-...
Stately Green Lacewing
Chrysopa walkeri
A large green lacewing found in Australian woodlands and gardens. One of the more conspicuous lacewi...
Stigmate Brown Lacewing
Hemerobius stigma
A brown lacewing with a distinctive dark spot on each forewing. Widespread in conifer-dominated fore...
Striped Green Lacewing
Chrysopa pallens
A pale green lacewing with a characteristic dark stripe along the body. Widely distributed across th...
Tasmanian Brown Lacewing
Micromus tasmaniae
A small Australian brown lacewing that has become a globally significant biocontrol agent. Widely st...
Terminalis Spongillafly
Sisyra terminalis
A Palearctic spongillafly with dark wing tips found near clean freshwater systems. Indicator of good...
Thread-winged Antlion Lacewing
Croce filipennis
A bizarre nemopterid with extremely long, thread-like hindwings. Males have hindwings that can be se...
Thread-Winged Lacewing
Nemoptera sinuata
An unmistakable insect with elongated, ribbon-like hindwings that trail behind in flight. Found in d...
Trash-carrying Lacewing
Chrysopa nigricornis
A North American green lacewing with dark antennae. Its larvae camouflage themselves by piling debri...
Tropical Dustywing
Heteroconis picticornis
A tropical dustywing with banded antennae found in Asian and African lowland habitats. One of the la...
Tropical Green Lacewing
Plesiochrysa ramburi
A pantropical lacewing found across Africa, Asia, and Oceania. One of the most widely distributed la...
Tropical Green Lacewing
Chrysoperla rufilabris
A widely distributed green lacewing used commercially for biological pest control in greenhouses. La...
Tropical Mantidfly
Entanoneura gratiosa
A striking tropical mantidfly with patterned wings found in Asian rainforests. Its ornate wing marki...
Turkish Owlfly
Libelloides rhomboideus
A striking owlfly with rhombus-shaped wing markings found in Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean....
Wartclub Lacewing
Ithone fulva
A rare moth-like lacewing from southeastern Australia. Adults are short-lived and larvae burrow unde...
Wesmael's Brown Lacewing
Wesmaelius subnebulosus
A medium-sized brown lacewing with subtly patterned wings found across Europe. Frequent in gardens a...
Yellow Mantidfly
Leptomantispa pulchella
A delicate yellow mantidfly found in tropical Central and South America. Its slender build and pale ...
Yellow Owlfly
Libelloides macaronius
A spectacular owlfly with bright yellow and brown wings widespread across southeastern Europe. One o...
Yellow Owlfly
Libelloides longicornis
A beautiful owlfly with long clubbed antennae and bright yellow-and-black wings. It perches on grass...