Indian Owlfly vs Elegant Brown Lacewing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Indian Owlfly Elegant Brown Lacewing
Scientific Name Helicomitus festivus Sympherobius elegans
Order Neuroptera Neuroptera
Family Ascalaphidae Hemerobiidae
Size 38-50 mm wingspan 5-8 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Orchards
Diet Predators Wood Feeders
Regions India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia Europe, North Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Indian Owlfly

A tropical Asian owlfly with long antennae and patterned wings. Found along forest edges and clearings in the Indian subcontinent.

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Did You Know?

Its large clubbed antennae are thought to help detect prey scent during aerial hunts.

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.