Common green lacewing

Description:

Chrysoperla carnea, known as the common green lacewing, is an insect in the Chrysopidae family. It is found in many parts of America, Europe and Asia. The adults feed on nectar, pollen and aphid honeydew but the larvae are active predators and feed on aphids and other small insects. It has been used in the biological control of insect pests on crops. Chrysoperla carnea was originally considered to be a single species with a holarctic distribution but it has now been shown to be a complex of many cryptic, sibling species. These are indistinguishable from each other morphologically but can be recognised by variations in the vibrational songs the insects use to communicate with each other, which they especially do during courtship.