Cicada Assassin Bug vs North American Brown Lacewing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cicada Assassin Bug North American Brown Lacewing
Scientific Name Pselliopus barberi Hemerobius ovalis
Order Hemiptera Neuroptera
Family Reduviidae Hemerobiidae
Size 15-20 mm 9-13 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions North America Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cicada Assassin Bug

A colorful orange and black assassin bug that specializes in hunting cicadas. It uses its powerful raptorial forelegs and venomous bite to subdue large prey.

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Did You Know?

It detects cicada prey primarily through the vibrations cicadas produce when calling for mates.

North American Brown Lacewing

A common brown lacewing of North American deciduous forests. Frequently encountered on foliage in eastern woodlands during summer.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the most commonly collected hemerobiids in Malaise trap surveys across eastern forests.