Chrysopa nigricornis

Burmeister, 1839

Black-horned Green Lacewing

Chrysopa nigricornis, commonly known as the Black-horned Green Lacewing, is a of green lacewing in the Chrysopidae. It is distributed across Central America and North America. The species exhibits a facultative larval during the third instar within its cocoon, induced by short-day acting on the first three free-living larval stages. As both larvae and , it is predatory, feeding on soft-bodied insects such as aphids.

Chrysopa nigricornis by no rights reserved, uploaded by Ken Kneidel. Used under a CC0 license.Green Lacewing (Chrysopa nigricornis) by Mangodreads. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.Symbolae ad monographiam generis chrysopae, Leach (6288919751) by Schneider, Wilhelm Gottlieb. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Chrysopa nigricornis: /ˈkrɪsoʊpə ˌnɪɡərˈkɔrnɪs/

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Distribution

Central America and North America, including the northeastern United States (e.g., New York state).

Diet

Both larval and stages are predatory. Larvae feed on soft-bodied insects including aphids, mites, , and soft scales. Adults have been observed to feed on aphids, pollen, and honeydew.

Life Cycle

Development includes , three larval instars, pupa, and . Third-instar larvae enter within a cocoon under short-day conditions (approximately 12 hours of light or less). Diapause terminates spontaneously after approximately 140 days under continued short-day conditions, or can be hastened to about 40 days by exposure to long-day conditions (16 hours light) after 4-6 weeks of diapause. The egg stage and cocoon-enclosed third instar do not influence diapause induction.

Behavior

Exhibits photoperiodic response for induction; short-day conditions experienced by first, second, and free-living third instars trigger diapause entry. Diapause development occurs under short-day conditions, with temperature subsequently governing post-diapause development rate.

Ecological Role

of soft-bodied insects, including agricultural pests such as aphids.

Human Relevance

Used as a agent for pest management. Larvae are known as 'aphid lions' due to their voracious consumption of aphids.

Similar Taxa

  • Chrysopa spp.Other green lacewings share similar appearance and larval predatory habits; specific identification requires examination of wing venation, body markings, and structure.
  • Chrysoperla spp.Closely related with overlapping distribution and ecological role; distinguished by subtle morphological differences in wing venation and coloration.

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