American Owlfly vs Giant Lacewing
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | American Owlfly | Giant Lacewing |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ululodes quadripunctatus | Polystoechotes punctata |
| Order | Neuroptera | Neuroptera |
| Family | Ascalaphidae | Ithonidae |
| Size | 20-30 mm body, 50-65 mm wingspan | 40-75 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Meadows | Rivers & Streams |
| Diet | Predators | Omnivores |
| Regions | North America | North America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Endangered |
American Owlfly
A dragonfly-like neuropteran with split eyes and long knobbed antennae. It catches small insects on the wing during twilight flights.
Did You Know?
Its eyes are divided into upper and lower halves, allowing it to see both above and below simultaneously.
Giant Lacewing
Once widespread across North America, it vanished from the eastern US by the 1950s. A single specimen was rediscovered in Walmart parking lot in Arkansas in 2012 after 50 years.
Did You Know?
This giant lacewing was thought extinct in eastern North America for 50 years — until a single specimen was collected at a Walmart parking lot in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 2012.