Debris-carrying Lacewing Larva (Junk Bug or Trash Bug)

Found on various vegetation, including gardens, agricultural fields, and ornamental plants where their prey is abundant.

Carnivorous and voracious; they primarily eat aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, and other soft-bodied agricultural pests.

Larvae use specialized hairs called 'scoli' to anchor debris, such as the hollowed-out exoskeletons of their prey, lichen, and plant material, onto their backs for camouflage. They are highly active hunters.

They are highly beneficial to ecosystems and gardeners as natural pest control. While harmless to humans, they are known to occasionally give a small, temporary, and harmless nip if they crawl on skin.