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Photo#62630
I'm stumped - Nallachius americanus - male

I'm stumped - Nallachius americanus - Male
Savannah, on Wilmington Island, Chatham County, Georgia, USA
May 18, 2006
Size: wingspan 8 mm.
Found at porch light, the only one I've seen since the beginning of spring. [Moved to ID Request so the images will not disappear. They are under investigation by Georgia researchers. Bob Patterson]

Images of this individual: tag all
I'm stumped - Nallachius americanus - male I'm stumped - Nallachius americanus - male

#62630 Identification -- Nallachius americanus (male)
This is a male of the pleasing lacewing Nallachius americanus (McLachlan, 1881). Only one other species of this genus (and family) -- pulchellus -- is known from north of Mexico. Both species are generally considered to be quite rare, but (at least americanus) can be reasonablly abundant at lights (sometimes several in a night's collecting) in moist wooded areas with lots of dead wood. For an account of its biology see Bibliography of the Neuropterida (http://insects.tamu.edu/research/neuropterida/neur_bibliography/bibhome.html) reference number (r#) 3961. This neuropteran species is easily overlooked as a small moth, but its patterned and very hairy wings are distinctive, as are the pectinate antennae in the male. I would be interested to see additional good shots of this species from those who may run across it -- primarily those who like to run lights in wooded areas. It is widespread across the eastern U.S., but more abundant in the southeast.

 
Nallachius americanus
Just posted an image of Nallachius americanus. It was found by accident when it landed on my husband's forearm. We were looking for a dried stick to throw for our dog. I have been posting moths on the BAMONA site and thought it was a very interesting moth possibly an Alucita species... the more I looked at it the less it looked like a MOTH! The area is recently undergoing some removeal of sand pines and had also recently been burned for restoration. Thank you for posting information on this insect.
MaryAnn

 
pleasing lacewing
Thanks for the explanation. I live in a wooded area in central Florida where see these occasionally at my moth lights.

 
Another shot of Nallachius americanus
Here:

It was in exactly the habitat you described, a moist wooded area with lots of dead wood! We found two that night, both males.

And The Answer Is............
I sent this photo to James Adams to rule out the possibility of a moth I didn't know about. It intrigued James also. Here's the response:

Doug Yanega sent this response when I [James Adams] asked him what the "critter" was.

"That's a very rare Neuropteran; Nallachius americanus, a Dilarid. I collected two of another species in the Huachucas, but there's americanus in the Eastern US, and it's fairly widespread but rarely collected. Fantastic little critters. Males have pectinate antennae, females have a longish ovipositor."

 
Nallachius americanus
Thanks for tracking this one down, Bob, and thanks to Doug Yanega for the ID. My first impression was some kind of geometrid moth but the transparent wings stumped me. Both images moved from ID Request to new species page.

Great capture, Jim. A first for BugGuide, and I couldn't find any other images of this species on the web.

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