Trash-carrying
Guides
Chrysopidae
Green lacewings, lacewings, stinkflies, aphid lions, aphid wolves, junk bugs, trash bugs
Chrysopidae, commonly known as green lacewings, is a large family of neuropteran insects comprising approximately 85 genera and 1,300–2,000 species worldwide. Adults are delicate, often bright green insects with conspicuous golden compound eyes and translucent, iridescent wings with characteristic wide costal fields in the venation. Larvae are voracious predators nicknamed "aphid lions" or "trash bugs," known for carrying debris on their backs for camouflage while hunting soft-bodied prey. The family is economically significant as biological control agents, with millions reared annually for agricultural pest management.
Leucochrysa americana
American Lacewing
Leucochrysa americana is a green lacewing species in the family Chrysopidae, first described by Nathan Banks in 1897. The genus Leucochrysa is distinguished from other chrysopids by its white markings rather than the red or yellow markings common in related genera. Larvae in this genus are known for carrying debris and other materials on their backs as camouflage, a behavior that has been documented in the related species Leucochrysa pavida. The species occurs in North and Middle America.