# Chrysopa oculata

*Chrysopa oculata*

To prevent her cannibalistic offspring from eating one another upon hatching, the mother suspends each egg on a tiny, hair-like stalk of hardened silk.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Neuroptera › Chrysopidae › Chrysopa
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Meadows, gardens, agricultural fields, and deciduous forest edges.
- **Diet:** Larvae (aphid lions) are voracious predators of aphids and mites; adults primarily consume nectar, pollen, and honeydew.
- **Range:** North America, Canada, United States, Mexico
- **Size:** 25-30mm wingspan
- **Lifespan:** 4-6 months
- **Active:** nocturnal
- **Threats:** Widespread pesticide use, habitat fragmentation, and excessive artificial light at night.
- **Safe to approach?:** Completely harmless to humans. These are beneficial insects that provide natural pest control. If one enters your home, gently relocate it to a garden. Avoid using broad-spectrum insecticides which can harm them.

## About

Chrysopa oculata , the golden-eyed lacewing , is a species of green lacewing in the family Chrysopidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/5a2fd9bd-ab76-4929-b319-4dad674cf5b4
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/146945
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysopa oculata
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/8328255/medium.jpeg (Nick Block, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.