Chrysoperla rufilabris

Distinguished from other North American Chrysoperla by four key characters: broadly red genae (cheeks), pointed apex of the forewing, black gradate crossveins in the wing venation, and presence of spinellae on male genitalia. Adults exhibit the typical delicate green lacewing form with large, transparent, net-veined wings and golden compound eyes. Coloration varies seasonally; adults may appear brown, pink, or reddish in autumn and spring rather than bright green.

Found in diverse terrestrial habitats including agricultural fields, gardens, orchards, and natural vegetation. Commonly occurs in agroecological systems where aphid populations are present. Adults overwinter in sheltered locations and become active in early spring.

Native to eastern North America. Documented from the Caribbean, Central America, and North America including the United States and Canada. GBIF records confirm presence in Vermont and broader North American distribution.

Adults overwinter and become active in early spring, with activity continuing through the growing season. Attracted to blacklights and porch lights during nocturnal flight periods. Multiple generations per year in temperate regions.

Larvae prey upon soft-bodied insects including aphids, thrips, whiteflies, scale insects, and lepidopteran eggs. Laboratory studies confirm predation on at least 16 aphid species; complete larval development achieved on seven species including Aphis glycines (soybean aphid) and Myzocallis asclepiadis. Prey preference studies show larvae prefer Heliothis virescens larvae over cotton aphids, and cotton aphids over H. virescens eggs.

Holometabolous development with egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. Larvae pass through three instars. Developmental success varies significantly with prey species; survival, larval development time, pupal mass, and adult egg load are influenced by aphid prey identity. Females produce eggs on stalks, typically laid near aphid colonies.

Larvae exhibit success-motivated searching behavior when feeding on certain prey types, particularly lepidopteran eggs. Foraging performance studies demonstrate larvae can target prey under dark conditions, suggesting olfactory cues mediate prey location. Adults are nocturnal and strongly attracted to artificial light sources. Larvae do not discriminate between healthy and nucleopolyhedrovirus-infected Spodoptera frugiperda prey, though search time is approximately twice as long for infected larvae.

Significant predator of agricultural and horticultural pests, particularly aphids. Functions as a natural biological control agent and is commercially reared for augmentative release. Contributes to suppression of pest populations in agroecosystems. Subject to intraguild predation; eggs are vulnerable to predation by coccinellids such as Coleomegilla maculata lengi.

Widely used in biological control programs for aphid management in greenhouse and field crops. Commercially available from insectaries. Research demonstrates compatibility with selective insecticides such as sulfoxaflor, which is rated harmless to slightly harmful to this species while controlling target pests. Potential biocontrol agent for invasive pests including crapemyrtle bark scale (Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae).

• Chrysoperla carnea-groupMorphologically similar species complex historically confused with C. rufilabris; requires examination of genitalic structures and wing venation for separation. The carnea-group contains 20+ cryptic species distinguished primarily by male vibrational songs rather than visual characters.
• Other Chrysoperla species in North AmericaC. rufilabris uniquely identified by combination of red genae, pointed forewing apex, black gradate crossveins, and male genitalic spinellae; other species lack this full character set.

• biological control
• predator
• aphid predator
• green lacewing
• agricultural pest management
• Neuroptera
• Chrysopidae
• nocturnal
• integrated pest management

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Primary Type List | Entomology Research Museum
• Sulfoxaflor Found to Be Less Harmful to Beneficial Predators of Soybean Aphids
• Drought-Tolerant, Aphid-Hungry Lacewing Species Arrives in Americas
• Bug Eric: Last Night to Blacklight?
• Stories about small insects and making a big difference - Buglife Blog - Buglife
• Bug Eric: Blacklighting Already?
• Diet breadth of the aphid predatorChrysoperla rufilabrisBurmeister (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)
• Handling time, prey preference, and functional response for Chrysoperla rufilabris in the laboratory
• Microorganisms associated with field-collected Chrysoperla rufilabris (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) adults with emphasis on yeast symbionts
• Green Lacewing Chrysoperla rufilabris (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) is a potential biological agent for controlling crapemyrtle bark scale (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae)
• HOW DO LADYBIRDS [COLEOMEGILLA MACULATA LENGI (COLEOPTERA: COCCINELLIDAE)] FEED ON GREEN LACEWING EGGS [CHRYSOPERLA RUFILABRIS (NEUROPTERA: CHRYSOPIDAE)]?
• The potential of Chrysoperla rufilabris and Doru taeniatum as agents for dispersal of Spodoptera frugiperda nucleopolyhedrovirus in maize
• The chromosome complement of male Chrysoperla rufilabris (Burmeister, 1839), with evidence of distance segregation in meiosis I.
• Combined use of Chrysoperla rufilabris (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) and Cry3Aa for improved control of Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).