Hemerobiidae
Guides
Hemerobius
brown lacewings
Hemerobius is a genus of brown lacewings in the family Hemerobiidae, distributed across Europe and North America. Adults and larvae are predatory, feeding on small arthropods including aphids, scale insects, and insect eggs. The genus includes species that overwinter as adults and are active in early spring. Larvae spin loose, coarse cocoons for pupation, with some species exhibiting extended quiescent periods before emergence.
Hemerobius humulinus
brown lacewing
Hemerobius humulinus is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae. It has a broad distribution spanning Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China), North America, and Southern Asia. The species overwinters as an adult and becomes active in early spring. Like other brown lacewings, it is a predator of aphids and other small insects.
Megalomus
brown lacewings
Megalomus is a genus of brown lacewings (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae) comprising more than 40 described species distributed across northern and central Europe, with some species extending into North America. The genus includes the Bordered Brown Lacewing (M. hirtus), the only Megalomus species recorded in the UK and a conservation priority in Scotland. Species in this genus are small, typically around 1 cm in length, with distinctive wing venation including a notably broad costal space and multiple branching radial veins.
Megalomus carpenteri
Megalomus carpenteri is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae, a group of predatory insects commonly known as brown lacewings. The species was described in 1997 and is native to North America. The specific epithet honors paleoentomologist Frank M. Carpenter for his contributions to the taxonomy of Neuroptera.
Megalomus fidelis
brown lacewing
Megalomus fidelis is a species of brown lacewing (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae) described by Banks in 1897. It is distributed across Central America and North America, with records from the United States including Vermont. As a member of the Megalomus genus, it belongs to a group of lacewings generally associated with forested and wooded habitats. The species has been documented through observation records, though detailed biological studies remain limited.
Megalomus moestus
Megalomus moestus is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae, first described by Nathan Banks in 1895. It is distributed across North America and Central America. As a member of the Megalomus genus, it shares characteristics with other brown lacewings, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited in published literature.
Micromus
brown lacewings
Micromus is a genus of small brown lacewings in the family Hemerobiidae, containing over 80 and possibly as many as 170 species. These 4–10 mm insects are distributed worldwide and are important predators of agricultural and horticultural pests. Both larvae and adults are predatory, feeding on soft-bodied insects and mites. Several species, particularly Micromus tasmaniae, have been mass-reared and deployed as biological control agents.
Micromus angulatus
brown lacewing
Micromus angulatus is a predatory brown lacewing (Hemerobiidae) distributed across Africa, Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), North America, and Southern Asia. Both larvae and adults are active predators of aphids and other small soft-bodied insects, with third-instar larvae and female adults showing particularly high predation rates. The species has been extensively studied as a biological control agent against agricultural pests including Aphis craccivora, Illinoia lambersi, and Myzus persicae. Laboratory studies demonstrate temperature-dependent predation efficiency, with stable adult performance across 15–25°C and enhanced larval activity at warmer temperatures. A chromosome-level genome assembly of 1.29 Gb has been published, supporting its potential for augmentative biological control programs.
Micromus borealis
Northern Brown Lacewing
Micromus borealis is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae, described by Klimaszewski & Kevan in 1988. It is native to North America. As a member of the brown lacewings, it is a predatory insect in both adult and larval stages. The species is distinguished from other Micromus species by specific morphological characteristics of its wing venation and body structure.
Micromus posticus
brown lacewing
Micromus posticus is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae. It is a predatory insect found across the Caribbean, Central America, and North America. Both larvae and adults feed on aphids, making it a potentially beneficial species in agricultural and garden settings. The species has been documented through blacklighting observations and is one of the more commonly encountered brown lacewings in its range.
Micromus subanticus
Antique Brown Lacewing
Micromus subanticus is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae. It has a wide geographic distribution spanning the Caribbean, Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China), Central America, and North America. The species has been studied in Florida for its life cycle and parasitism patterns. As a brown lacewing, it is presumed to be predatory in both adult and larval stages, though specific prey associations are not well documented.
Micromus variegatus
Variegated Brown Lacewing, Brown Lacewing
Micromus variegatus is a species of brown lacewing in the family 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.
Psectra
Psectra is a genus of brown lacewings (family Hemerobiidae) comprising more than 20 described species. These small predatory insects are part of the order Neuroptera, characterized by their net-veined wings. The genus has been documented through 695 iNaturalist observations, indicating moderate field recognition. Species-level identification within Psectra generally requires examination of genitalic characters.
Psectra diptera
brown lacewing
Psectra diptera is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae. The species has a broad distribution spanning Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. As a member of the brown lacewing family, it belongs to a group of predatory insects closely related to green lacewings. The species was first described by Burmeister in 1839.
Sympherobius amiculus
Sympherobius amiculus is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae. It was first described by Fitch in 1855 under the basionym Hemerobius amiculus. The species is found in North America and the Caribbean.
Sympherobius barberi
Barber's brown lacewing
Sympherobius barberi is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae, commonly known as Barber's brown lacewing. The species has a remarkably broad distribution spanning Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), Central America, North America, Oceania, and South America. It was first described by Banks in 1903 and has been recorded from the Galápagos Islands, representing both a new species record for the archipelago and the first record of the genus Sympherobius from the islands. The species was introduced to New Zealand in 1936 as a biological control agent for aphids and mealybugs but failed to establish.
Sympherobius californicus
California brown lacewing
Sympherobius californicus is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae, first described by Banks in 1911. It is native to Central America, North America, and Oceania, with distribution records from Hawaii. The species was introduced to New Zealand in 1936 as a biological control agent targeting aphids and mealybugs affecting crops, but failed to establish.
Sympherobius occidentalis
western brown lacewing
Sympherobius occidentalis is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae, first described by Fitch in 1855. It is native to North America. Brown lacewings in this family are generally predatory as both larvae and adults, though specific ecological details for this species remain poorly documented. The species is part of a genus containing approximately 30 described species distributed primarily in the Americas.
Wesmaelius
Wesmaelius is a genus of brown lacewings (family Hemerobiidae) described by Krüger in 1922. The genus contains approximately 15 described species with cosmopolitan distribution. Species within this genus are small, delicate neuropteran insects with net-veined wings.