Giant lacewing
The giant lacewing is the largest member of the lacewing family, featuring a wingspan of less than 2 inches (5 centimeters). This brown insect is typically found in warm climates, particularly in woodland areas near streams and ponds across Europe and Asia. Its larvae live in moist moss near these water sources, where they develop and feed on various insects, primarily during their larval stage. As a nocturnal insect, the giant lacewing is active at night and has delicate, lace-like wings. To defend against predators, it produces a strong, unpleasant odor, which deters potential threats, such as insect-eating birds. Mating occurs in spring and summer, with females laying eggs in sticky masses in wet moss. After hatching, larvae remain in the moss until they spin cocoons and undergo metamorphosis into adults. The average lifespan of the adult giant lacewing is four to six weeks, and they are currently not considered a threatened species.
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Giant lacewing
The giant lacewing is the largest of all of the lacewings. This large, brown lacewing has a wingspan of less than 2 inches (5 centimeters). The giant lacewing protects itself from predators with its terrible smell.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Neuroptera
Family: Osmylidae
Genus: Osmylus
Species: Fulvicephalus
The giant lacewing belongs to the family Osmylidae, which should not be confused with the family Ithonidae, also sometimes called giant lacewings. The giant lacewing is typically found throughout the world in warm climates. It inhabits the woodland areas near streams and ponds in Europe and Asia. It is important that the giant lacewing lives near water because its larvae, or young, spend their entire lives in the wet or moist moss that grows near such streams and ponds. The giant lacewing, like other lacewings, is a nocturnal, or night-active, insect.
As its name suggests, the giant lacewing is a large insect with delicate, lace-like wings. The giant lacewing is the largest species of the almost 30 species of lacewings. However, the giant lacewing's wingspan is less than 2 inches (5 centimeters). Like other lacewings, the giant lacewing is a close relative of mantispids and ant lions.
Like other insects, the giant lacewing's body is divided into the three sections of head, thorax, or middle section, and abdomen, or tail section. On the giant lacewing's head are two thin, thread-like antennae which this insect uses to sense its surroundings. The thorax of the giant lacewing is covered with many tiny hairs, while the abdomen of this insect is hidden beneath its large, lace-like wings.
Although most lacewings feed mainly on aphids, the giant lacewing eats any insect which comes near it. Typically, most of the food consumption is done during the giant lacewing's larval stage. This is the developmental stage into which the insect enters directly after hatching.
To protect itself from predators, such as insect-eating birds, the giant lacewing produces a terrible smell. This smell is so unpleasant that possible predators turn away and find more appealing prey.
Mating for the giant lacewing takes place in the spring and summer. The female giant lacewing lays her eggs in a stringy, sticky mass in wet moss near the edge of the stream or pond where she lives. As the eggs hatch, the larval lacewings remain in the moss. In fact, they spend their entire larval lives in the moss in which their eggs were laid. At some point the larvae spin cocoons, or coverings, around their bodies and move into their final stage of development. This stage is called the pupal stage. The larval giant lacewing spins its creamy-white, silky cocoon from a spinneret located on its tail end. Caterpillars, which also spin cocoons, have their spinnerets located on their heads. Generally, pupal giant lacewings remain in their cocoons throughout their hibernation, or winter rest. In the spring, when the weather gets warmer, the giant lacewings emerge from their cocoons as adults and begin to mate.
The average life span of the adult giant lacewing is between four and six weeks. They are not a threatened species.
Bibliography
Berard, Adrienne. “Rare Insect Found at Arkansas Walmart Sets Historic Record, Prompts Mystery.” Penn State, 27 Feb. 2023, www.psu.edu/news/research/story/rare-insect-found-arkansas-walmart-sets-historic-record-prompts-mystery. Accessed 2 Apr. 2024.
“Giant Lacewing - Osmylus Fulvicephalus.” Nature Spot, www.naturespot.org.uk/species/giant-lacewing. Accessed 2 June 2024.
“The Giant Lacewing Osmylus Fulvicephalus Scopoli (Neuroptera) New to Suffolk – A Very Belated Record.” Suffolk Biodiversity Information Center, 2009, www.suffolkbis.org.uk/publications/tsns/45/6. Accessed 2 June 2024. Smithsonian Institution.
“Osmylus Fulvicephalus (Scopoli 1763).” Encyclopedia of Life, eol.org/pages/4130932. Accessed 2 Apr. 2024.