Characteristics and Distribution
Nallachius americanus is a Neuropteran in the family dilaridae. This family is commonly known as the pleasing lacewings. The two common lacewing families in Ithaca are the green lacewings (family: chrysopidae) and the brown lacewings (family hemerobiidae), unlike these, N. americanus is white or grey with small dark spots along its wings. N. americanus is also somewhat smaller than the more common lacewings (body size <3mm), and tends to hold its wings out like a moth, instead of tented over its abdomen.
There are only two species of dilarids present in the United States, Nallachius pulchellus and Nallachius americanus. N. pulchellus is found in the Southwestern United States, while N. americanus has a more Northern distribution. Very little is known about their habitat, and even less is known about their life history. Adults are most often found at lights on summer nights, and the larvae are found in rotting wood or under bark and it's believed that they're predaceous.
There are only two species of dilarids present in the United States, Nallachius pulchellus and Nallachius americanus. N. pulchellus is found in the Southwestern United States, while N. americanus has a more Northern distribution. Very little is known about their habitat, and even less is known about their life history. Adults are most often found at lights on summer nights, and the larvae are found in rotting wood or under bark and it's believed that they're predaceous.
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In the photo to the left you can see that a key feature to differentiating male and females of this species is with the antennae. Females have slender antennae while the males have plumose antennae that look hairy.
I photographed both the adults, but only collected the female myself. The male photographed here was collected by the CUIC collection manager, Jason Dombroskie. Neuropterans are holometabolous insects (meaning they go through complete metamorphosis), so they're immatures look very different than the adults do. The N. americanus larvae pictured here was photographed by Matt Bertone (2017). |
N. americanus in IthacaDilarids are not commonly collected. In the Cornell University Insect Collection, which has over 7 million insect specimens, there are only 14 specimens from this family (pictured below), only four of which are N. americanus. Although they aren't encountered frequently one was collected this past summer (2017) along the Cascadilla Gorge Trail near Thurston Hall, here in Ithaca! |
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Written by Leeah Richardson: major in entomology, class of 2020
Bring me back to the main page!
Bring me back to the main page!
Citations:
Bowles, D. E., A. Contreras-Ramos, M. A. Sarmiento-Cordero, and M. L. Ferro. 2015. New distributional records for pleasing lacewings. Insect Mundi
Bowles, D. E., A. Contreras-Ramos, M. A. Sarmiento-Cordero, and M. L. Ferro. 2015. New distributional records for pleasing lacewings. Insect Mundi
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