Common Antlion vs North American Brown Lacewing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Antlion North American Brown Lacewing
Scientific Name Myrmeleon immaculatus Hemerobius ovalis
Order Neuroptera Neuroptera
Family Myrmeleontidae Hemerobiidae
Size 30-45 mm wingspan 9-13 mm wingspan
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Woodlands
Diet Predators Herbivores
Regions North America Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Common Antlion

A delicate lacewing-like insect whose larvae are famous pit-trap predators. Adults are nocturnal and resemble slender damselflies.

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Did You Know?

The larva flicks sand grains at prey to knock them back into its funnel-shaped pit trap.

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.