Micromus variegatus

(Fabricius, 1793)

Variegated Brown Lacewing, Brown Lacewing

Micromus variegatus is a of brown lacewing in the Hemerobiidae, first described by Fabricius in 1793. It is one of the most widely recognized brown lacewing species, with its image being the most reused scientific image from Pensoft publications on Wikimedia Commons (over 6,500 uses across multiple languages). The species has a broad distribution spanning Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. As a member of the Hemerobiidae, it belongs to a family of predatory insects commonly known as brown lacewings, which are closely related to green lacewings but generally smaller and more cryptically colored.

Micromus variegatus by (c) Rupert Lees, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Rupert Lees. Used under a CC-BY license.Micromus variegatus01 by wikipedia. Used under a Attribution license.Micromus variegatus 02 by Teemu Rintala, Timo Lehto. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Micromus variegatus: /ˈmaɪkroʊməs ˌværɪˈeɪɡətəs/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Distribution

Europe; Northern Asia (excluding China); North America. Specific country records include Belgium (with regional records from Brussels-Capital Region and Flemish Region).

Human Relevance

The image of Micromus variegatus is the most frequently reused scientific image from Pensoft publications on Wikimedia Commons, with over 6,500 uses across more than 50 languages. This high reuse rate demonstrates the ' role as a visual ambassador for open-access scientific publishing and biodiversity documentation. The image has appeared on Wikipedia main pages across multiple languages, contributing to public education about insect diversity.

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Sources and further reading