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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Antlions, Lacewings, and Allies (Neuroptera) » Lacewings and Allies (Hemerobiiformia) » Green Lacewings (Chrysopidae) » Unidentified Debris-Carrying Larvae
Photo#834712
Debris-carrying lacewing larva
Copyright © 2013 David McIntyre

Debris-carrying lacewing larva
Haydenville, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA
September 1, 2013
Size: about 5 mm
Sorry, I have no option here but to submit a photo of mutilated, dead insects, as that's what this lacewing larva has chosen to carry around (along with, I believe, some tiny snail shells). I don't suppose it's possible to identify lacewing larvae on the basis of the debris they carry, is it? Are these likely to be the remains of prey, or just debris the larva has come across?

Images of this individual: tag all
Debris-carrying lacewing larva Debris-carrying lacewing larva Debris-carrying lacewing larva
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Contributed by David McIntyre on 1 September, 2013 - 7:56pm
Last updated 1 September, 2013 - 9:01pm

Ant debris
The debris appears to be ants, which is typically an association with Belonopterygini (the larvae seem to eat ants). The largely brown head capsule may align with Abachrysa eureka, which is known to be a debris-carrier. Their larvae are rather uncommonly encountered and seem to have been largely unknown (apart from maybe 1st instars) until the 2020 Tauber, Kilpatrick, & Oswald treatment of the larvae (so there don't seem to be any color photographs for comparison).
… Jonathan Hoskins, 12 September, 2020 - 9:48pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks! There are definitely
Thanks! There are definitely ants among the debris. In case I have actually stumbled across something uncommonly encountered and little documented, I've checked back through my photos to see if any of them show other parts of this critter, but they're all more or less along the same lines as these two. I'll upload a closer crop of the head, though, just in case that's of interest to anyone.
… David McIntyre, 13 September, 2020 - 6:35am login or register to post comments

wow... what a formidable junkdo!
looks like an opportunistic assemblage rather than prey remnants, though. awesome job, David --thanks.

Moved from ID Request.
… v belov, 1 September, 2013 - 9:01pm login or register to post comments

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