Chrysopidae

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Green lacewings

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Superorder:	Endopterygota
Order:	Neuroptera
Superfamily:	Hemerobioidea
Family:	Chrysopidae

Genera

See text

Green lacewings are insects in the very large family Chrysopidae of the order Neuroptera. There are three subfamilies (Apochrysinae, Nothochrysinae and Chrysopinae), 87 genera and about 1,300 species.

Lacewings are widespread insects; the genus Chrysoperla is very common in North America. Their larvae are voracious predators, attacking most insects of suitable size, especially soft-bodied ones (aphids, caterpillars and other insect larvae, insect eggs). Adults use substrate vibrations as a form of communication, especially during courtship; species which are nearly identical morphologically may sometimes be separated more easily based on their mating signals.

In several countries, millions of lacewings are reared for sale as biological control agents of insect and mite pests in agriculture and gardens. They are distributed as eggs, since they are highly aggressive and cannibalistic. The eggs hatch in the field, originating the predatory larvae. Their performance is variable; thus, there is a lot of interest on further improvement of the use of lacewings as biological pest control.

Lacewing

Green Lacewing

[edit] Selected genera

Abachrysa
Ankylopteryx
Anomalochrysa
Brinckochrysa
Ceraeochrysa
Chrysocerca
Chrysopa
Chrysoperla
Chrysopidia
Chrysopodes
Cunctochrysa
Dichochrysa
Domenechus
Eremochrysa
Evanochrysa
Glenochrysa
Himalochrysa
Italochrysa
Leucochrysa
Loyola
Mallada
Nacarina
Nacaura
Nineta
Nobilinus
Nodita
Nothancyla
Nothochrysa
Odontochrysa
Peyerimhoffina
Plesiochrysa
Rexa
Retipenna
Semachrysa
Signochrysa
Sinochrysa
Suarius
Tibetochrysa
Tumeochrysa
Xanthochrysa
Yunchrysopa

[edit] References

Brooks, S. J. and P. C. Barnard (1990). "The green lacewings of the world: a generic review (Neuroptera:Chrysopidae)". Bulletin British Museum of Natural History (Entomology) 59: 117-286.
Winterton, S.L. & Brooks, S.J. (2002). "Phylogeny of the apochrysine green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae: Apochrysinae)". Annals of the Entomological Society of America 95: 16-28.
Winterton, S.L. (1995). "A new genus and species of Apochrysinae (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) from Australia, with a checklist of Australian Chrysopidae". Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 34: 139-145.
Penny, N.D., P.A. Adams, L.A. Stange (1997). "Species Catalog of the Neuroptera, Megaloptera, and Raphidioptera of America North of Mexico". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 50 (3): 39-114.
Tauber, C. A. (2004). "A systematic review of the genus Leucochrysa (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) in the United States". Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 97: 1129-1158.