Elegant Brown Lacewing vs Peruvian Mantidfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Elegant Brown Lacewing Peruvian Mantidfly
Scientific Name Sympherobius elegans Anchieta fumosella
Order Neuroptera Neuroptera
Family Hemerobiidae Mantispidae
Size 5-8 mm wingspan 16-22 mm wingspan
Habitat Orchards Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Omnivores
Regions Europe, North Africa Peru, Bolivia, South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Elegant Brown Lacewing

A tiny, delicate brown lacewing found in bark crevices of broadleaved trees. One of the smallest hemerobiid species in Europe.

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Did You Know?

At barely 5 mm wingspan, it is small enough to hunt insects living inside bark fissures.

Peruvian Mantidfly

A South American mantidfly found in Andean cloud forests and tropical lowlands. A secretive species rarely encountered by collectors.

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Did You Know?

It is among the least studied mantidflies due to its rarity in collections and remote habitat.