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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Antlions, Lacewings, and Allies (Neuroptera) » Lacewings and Allies (Hemerobiiformia) » Dusty Lacewings (Coniopterygidae)

Family Coniopterygidae - Dusty Lacewings

Classification · Other Common Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Works Cited

Tiny pale insect - hemiptera larva maybe?

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 Coniopterygidae (Dusty Lacewings)

Other Common Names

Dusty-winged lacewings

Dustywings

Note: Dusky-wings or Duskywings is not recommended because often applied to skippers in the genus Erynnis

Numbers

2 subfamilies, with 55 spp. in 8 genera in our area(1)

Family Coniopterygidae

SubfamilyAleuropteryginae

Genus Aleuropteryx (14 spp.)

Genus Bidesmida (1 sp.)

Genus Helicoconis (4 spp.)

Genus Neoconis (3 spp.)

SubfamilyConiopteryginae

Genus Coniopteryx (17 spp.)

Genus Conwentzia (4 spp.)

Genus Parasemidalis (1 sp.)

Genus Semidalis (11 spp.)

Size

body length 2.5-5 mm

Identification

Adults covered with white waxy powder which gives a granulated appearance to the surface when viewed close-up; wings whitish with reduced venation, and held tent-like over abdomen at rest; antennae long and slender; mouthparts moderately long and beak-like; legs relatively long, especially hindlegs.

Wing venation of Semidalis:

Larva: five simple eyes on each side of head, and needle-like jaws

Keys to NA subfamilies & genera in(2); key to FL genera

Genus-level identification usually requires seeing the venation of both fore- and hind wings (György Sziráki, pers. comm. to =v=, 15.x.2011)

Range

both subfamilies occur worldwide and throughout NA

Habitat

predominantly arboreal

Season

most active at dawn and dusk in spring and fall

Food

adults and larvae feed on aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, scale insects, whiteflies, and other soft-bodied arthropods; adults have been reported to feed on other substances, e.g. honeydew, scale secretions, and honey water(2)

Life Cycle

adults flutter slowly among plants and usually lay single eggs on bark or leaves; two generations per year; overwinters as a larva

Remarks

easily overlooked due to small size and crepuscular habits; may be more economically important as predators of homopteran pests than previously realized

See Also

adults superficially similar to whiteflies (Aleyrodidae) but have longer legs (esp. the hindlegs), longer antennae, longer beak-like mouthparts, and wings held tent-like at a more steep angle over the abdomen at rest

Print References

Meinander, M. (1972). A revision of the family Coniopterygidae (Planipennia). Acta Zoologica Fennica 136:1-357. (Full Text)

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.	Review of the Coniopterygidae (Neuroptera) of North America, with a revision of the genus Aleuropteryx Johnson V. 1980. Psyche 87: 259-298.

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 25 February, 2005 - 2:56pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Chuck Entz, Aaron Schusteff, Vox Sciurorum, v belov, PaleoJon, Arturo Santos
Last updated 20 September, 2023 - 4:36pm

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