Goldeneye (Chrysopidae)

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Pakor, 13.08.2006 5:31

user posted image

From the photo gallery Pavel Korzunovich

An adult insect of the (green) goldeneye is about 15 mm long, with a body and wing veins of delicate shades of green. Wings in a calm state are folded "hut". The protruding eyes have a bright metallic sheen. Other members of this group of insects are "brown" goldeneyes (family hemerobii). They are smaller than their green sisters, and adult insects have a brown or grayish body and brownish, often mottled wings.

All golden-eyes, both larvae and adult insects, are predators that feed on aphids and other soft-bodied insects. However, many species of adult golden-eyes do not kill harmful insects, they essentially feed on nectar, pollen, paddy (sweet aphid secretions).

Adult golden-eyes lay their eggs on the foliage of plants. Each egg is attached on top of a hair-like thread (filament). After a few days, young larvae hatch from the eggs-predators ready to greedily eat harmful insects.

Goldeneye larvae are also known as aphid lions. Leaving the eggs very small, they quickly grow to 10-12 mm long, with long curved jaws (mandibles). Goldeneye larvae are very similar to ladybird larvae, and also have three pairs of well-developed legs. Most of the larvae are dark brown, covered with dark spots. The larvae of some species reinforce this camouflage by covering themselves with the dry skins of sucked aphids, so that they look more like small lumps of garbage than live insects.

Both the adult insect and the golden-eye larva are important antagonists (opponents) of aphids and can provide biological regulation of the number of aphids in gardens.

Information from the site Your Beautiful Garden