Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Genus Micromus

brown lacewing in car - Micromus posticus Unknown Lacewing - Micromus posticus Brown lacewing - Micromus subanticus Micromus ? - Micromus subanticus brown lacewing - Micromus subanticus Brown lacewing - Micromus posticus brown lacewing larva - Micromus Hemerobiidae sp. grooming antenna - Micromus subanticus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Neuroptera (Antlions, Lacewings, and Allies)
Suborder Hemerobiiformia (Lacewings and Allies)
Family Hemerobiidae (Brown Lacewings)
Subfamily Microminae
Genus Micromus
Explanation of Names
Micromus Rambur 1842
Numbers
8 spp. in our area(1), ~100 total(2)
1. Micromus angulatus: northern (Canada: AB, BC, MB, NF, NS, NT, ON, QC, SK, YT; United States: CO, ME, MI, MN, NH, NY, SD, VT, WI)
2. Micromus borealis: northwestern (Canada: AB, BC, YT; United States: AK)
3. Micromus montanus : widespread (Canada: AB, BC, NS, QC, SK; United States: AZ, CA, CO, CT, ID, MA, ME, NC, ND, NH, NV, NY, TN, UT, VT, WA, WI)
4. Micromus posticus: widespread (Canada: BC, ON, QC, YT; United States: AZ, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, MA, ME, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TX, VA, WA, WI)
5. Micromus remiformis: western (CA, ID, NV, OR, UT)
6. Micromus subanticus: widespread (Canada: BC, MB, ON, QC; United States: AZ, CA, FL, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MN, MO, NC, NV, NY, OH, SC, TX, VA, WI)
7. Micromus variegatus: introduced and spreading (Canada: AB, BC, NS, QC; United States: ID, NH, OR, WA)
8. Micromus variolosus: western (Canada: BC, SK, YT; United States: AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY) plus IN, MN
Identification
Eyes comparatively small, palpi without apiculus
 
  Heads of Micromus (left) vs. Hemerobius (right)

Wing venation:


larvae discussed in(3)
Range
worldwide & across NA(1)(2)
Remarks
our only representative of the subfamily Microminae Krüger 1922 (3 genera total)
Works Cited
1.Species catalog of the Neuroptera, Megaloptera, and Raphidioptera of America North of Mexico
Penny N.D., Adams P.A., Stange L.A. 1997. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 50: 39‒114.
2.Neuropterida Species of the World catalogue (by J.D. Oswald)
3.Larvae of Micromus: generic characteristics and a description of Micromus subanticus (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae)
Krakauer A.H., Tauber C.A. 1996. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 89(2): 203-211.