Species Chrysoperla rufilabris - Red-lipped Green Lacewing

Chrysoperla rufilabris (Burmeister 1839)

Adults

Adults of C. rufilabris are distinguished by their near-entirely red genae ('cheeks'), black cross veins, and pointed hind wingtips.

Because they overwinter as adults (unlike our other members of the pudica group), they turn brown during the colder months. This trait is otherwise shared by several members of the carnea group.

Larvae

Larvae of C. rufilabris are distinguished by having two dark stripes on the dorsum of the head capsule (not including markings at the eye), three pairs of prominent white spots on the thorax, often with the hindmost pair connected by a slight band, and typically an otherwise dark body color lacking pale markings through the middle of the abdomen (or if pale marks are present, not divided into 3 discrete longitudinal stripes). The legs are often (though not always) entirely black, unlike in allies.(1)

e. NA (NS-MB south to FL & TX)(2)

Canada: NB, ON; United States: DC, FL, GA, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, TX, VA, WI(3)

flies in Canada June 9 to mid-September(2)

C. rufilabris overwinter as adults, turning tan to brown at about the same time that deciduous trees start to lose their leaves.

Both C. comanche and C. harrisii specimens have been mistaken as C. rufilabris. Both species, however, lack the black cross-veins particular to C. rufilabris. Texas is the only state where all 3 species occur.