Green lacewings, belonging to the family Chrysopidae, are quite common in Northern California
and are often seen around light fixtures at night. Their eggs are laid on long stalks which help to stop
the first larva to hatch from eating the rest of the eggs. These larva are voracious predators and they
bear some resemblance to the larva of ladybugs. In fact, both are sometimes referred to as "aphid lions".
The adults, flying around at night, are thought to have sometimes been mistaken for fairies. Because
they are slow moving and unwary, they are easily picked up.
There are microscopic pictures of its antennas,
wings, legs
and mouthparts.
