Common green lacewing    Harilik kiilassilm   Chrysoperla carnea

 

Green lacewing     Võsa-kiilassilm        Chrysopa perla           

 

In autumn the imagos, up to one and a half centimetre long, of the lacewings again become noticeable. For the winter they creep into living rooms as well as unheated summer houses and beehives – sometimes in massive numbers.

From  summer we remember the lacewings as green. In autumn the green pigment disappears from the insects and by now they are a faded greyish colour. A pinkish hue comes at the turn of the year. When the days become longer in spring the green pigment of the lacewings is restored.

They have their Estonian name from the greenish golden eyes. In summer we could see them flying around trees and shrubs and when the evening darkness lengthens in autumn circling around street lamps. In Estonia some ten species are known, the most common ones the common green lacewing and the green lacewing.

They are very useful insects – ”aphid lions” as the larvae are called because they destroy large numbers of  aphids in trees, not just tens of them but about half a thousand for one larva. They should really be introduced already in summer.

The imagos fed on plant nectar and pollen and during summer 2-3 generations develop.

The lacewings can well be left to spend the winter in our houses. They do no harm to anything or anybody.