Spiny Ant vs Stigmate Brown Lacewing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spiny Ant Stigmate Brown Lacewing
Scientific Name Polyrhachis dives Hemerobius stigma
Order Hymenoptera Neuroptera
Family Formicidae Hemerobiidae
Size 5-7 mm 10-14 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Nectar Feeders Omnivores
Regions Southeast Asia, southern China, India Europe, North America, Northern Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Spiny Ant

A distinctive Asian ant with paired spines on the petiole and propodeum. Workers are metallic dark brown and build nests from silk produced by larvae, similar to weaver ants. Colonies are arboreal and highly territorial.

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Did You Know?

They are commonly eaten as a protein-rich food in parts of southern China, where they are harvested from silk nests in trees.

Stigmate Brown Lacewing

A brown lacewing with a distinctive dark spot on each forewing. Widespread in conifer-dominated forests of the Northern Hemisphere.

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Did You Know?

The dark wing stigma that gives it its name helps distinguish it from over 100 similar species.