Is It a Lacewing? How to Tell Lacewings From Look-Alikes
Lacewings: 3 marks to check, what they are often confused with, whether they bite or sting, and where they turn up, quoted from university entomology and IPM sources.
At a glance
- Group: Order Neuroptera, Family Chrysopidae (green lacewings)
- Body plan: Soft-bodied adults with golden eyes and 4 membranous wings held roof-like over the body at rest; wings and body commonly green. Larvae are elongate, flattened, with distinct legs and resemble tiny alligators. Eggs are oblong, laid singly on the end of a silken stalk attached to plants.
- Size: Adults average about 3/4 inch (19 mm) from head to wing tip, excluding antennae.
- Bites or stings: Not covered by the sources we opened; handle unknown bugs with care.
- Where you find them: Green lacewings occur in field and tree crops, gardens and landscapes, and wildlands.
How to tell it is one of the lacewings
- Larvae resemble tiny alligators — elongate, flattened, with distinct legs.
- Eggs are distinctive: oblong, 1/16 inch or less, each laid on the end of its own silken stalk attached to a plant.
- Green lacewings vs. brown lacewings: color alone is unreliable (some green lacewings are brown/gray/reddish); the reliable adult character is whether the wing's costal crossveins are forked (Y-shaped).
Pest or beneficial?
Lacewings are beneficial predators; both adults (of predatory species) and especially larvae feed on mites and soft-bodied insects including aphids, caterpillars, lace bugs, leafhoppers, mealybugs, psyllids, scales, and thrips.
Where they turn up
Green lacewings occur in field and tree crops, gardens and landscapes, and wildlands.
How to photograph it for identification
Get as close as your camera will focus, from directly above, in daylight or a bright lamp. Include the whole body with the legs and antennae in frame; a second shot from the side shows wings and body segments. Put a coin or ruler next to it for scale. For a bite or a bug found on skin or bedding, photograph the bug itself, not the mark. The app names the likely group; use the list above to confirm.
FAQ
Do lacewings bite or sting?
The sources we opened for this group do not describe bites or stings. Treat any bug you cannot identify with care and avoid handling it bare-handed.
What is the quickest way to recognize lacewings?
Larvae resemble tiny alligators — elongate, flattened, with distinct legs.
Are lacewings a pest?
Lacewings are beneficial predators; both adults (of predatory species) and especially larvae feed on mites and soft-bodied insects including aphids, caterpillars, lace bugs, leafhoppers, mealybugs, psyllids, scales, and thrips.
Related
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Sources
Updated 2026-09-11.