Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Dilar americana
Size
Wingspan 7-8 mm, body 3 mm
Identification
Larvae very elongate:
Adults resemble small brown moths: wings rounded, hairy, transparent except for dark veins and many light brown spots, a number of which coalesce to form irregular bands across the wing; male antennae
pectinate; female
ovipositor long, recurved over abdomen. For wing venation, see
detailed figure from Penny
(1)(2002)...also thumbnail below:
"Very weak flyer, moving its wings in slow, floppy butterfly manner." (
comment by Jim Barrett). Larvae very elongate, and live under bark.
Range
e. US (MD-MI south to FL-TX)
(2)Habitat
Larvae under bark; adults come to lights.
Food
Nallachius larvae are presumed to feed on larvae & eggs of various tree-boring or bark-infesting beetles and ants.
Remarks
Uncommon. Adults are most often collected on or in close proximity to dead or living trees: in particular tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera); and several species of oaks (Quercus).
See Also
Adults look similar to some small brown geometrid moths but the "ground color" of the wings is transparent
Print References
Adams, P. A. (1970). A review of the New World Dilaridae. Postilla 148:1-30. (
Full Text)
Bowles, D.E., A. Contreras-Ramos, M. A. Sarmiento-Cordero, & M. L. Ferro (2015). New distributional records for pleasing lacewings (Neuroptera: Dilaridae,
Nallachius spp.) in the Americas. Insecta Mundi 0406: 1–10 (
Full Text)
Carpenter, F. M. (1940). A revision of the Nearctic Hemerobiidae, Berothidae, Sisyridae, Polystoechotidae and Dilaridae (Neuroptera). Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts and Sci. 74:193-260.
(3)
Carpenter, F.M. (1947). Taxonomic Notes on the Dilaridae (Neuroptera). Psyche 54: 100-109 (
Full Text)
Gurney, A. B. (1947) Notes on Dilaridae and Berothidae, with special reference to the immature stages of the Nearctic genera (Neuroptera). Psyche 54:145-169 (
Full text)
Hoffman K.M. (1990) Distributional notes on North and Central American Dilaridae. Entomological News 101: 155-157. (
Full Text)
Kuhar, T. P. (1995). A pleasing lacewing,
Nallachius americanus (McLachan), from southwestern Virginia (Neuroptera: Dilaridae). Banister 5: 32–33. (
Full Text)
MacLeod E.G., Spiegler P.E. (1961) Notes on the larval habitat and developmental peculiarities of
Nallachius americanus (McLachlan) (Neuroptera: Dilaridae). Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 63: 281-286. (
Full Text)
Monserrat V.J. (2005) Nuevos datos sobre algunas pequeñas familias de neurópteros (Insecta: Neuroptera: Nevrorthidae,. Osmylidae, Sisyridae, Dilaridae). Heteropterus Revista Entomologia 5: 1–26. (
Full text, see pg. 18 for Nallachius)
Oswald, J. D., (1998). Annotated Catalogue of the Dilaridae (Insecta: Neuroptera) of the World. – Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 141: 115-128. [ISSN 0040-7496] (
PDF).
Preny, T. J. & R. J. L. Jones (2017). A new family to Canada with the discovery of the Pleasing Lacewing
Nallachius americanus (McLachlan) (Neuroptera: Dilaridae) at the Ojibway Prairie Complex in Windsor, Ontario. J. ent. Soc. Ont. 148: 39–41. (
Full Text)
Sperka, C. L. (1972).
Nallachius americanus (McLachlan) (Neuroptera: Dilaridae) in Kentucky. Entomological News 83: 282–283. (
Full Text)
Stange, L. (1961). New records for the genus
Nallachius Navas. Pan-Pacific Entomologist 38(2):144. (
Full Text)
Steyskal, G.C. (1944) Notes on
Nallichius americanus. Psyche 51:183-184 (
Full text)
Internet References
Katja Schulz on Flickr -- Remarkable oviposition videos:
#1 and
#2; two mating photos
#1,
#2;
6 oviposition photos (scroll w/ left arrow through photostream);
4 photos of a female (pheromone broadcasting?); and
4 photos of mating pair.
Species page for N. americanus from North Carolina State University Insect Museum
Illinois record for
N. americanus...see
"A Rare Jewel" (from The Illinois Natural History Survey reports, No. 60, October 1967).
Virginia record for
N. americanus 1995 article by T.P. Kuhar (of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State U.)
