Debris-carrying Lacewing Larva (Junk Bug)
Scientific Name: Family Chrysopidae (genus Ceraeochrysa)
Order & Family: Order Neuroptera, Family Chrysopidae
Size: 3 to 10 mm in length
Natural Habitat
Found in gardens, orchards, and wooded areas on plant foliage, often near aphid colonies.
Diet & Feeding
Highly predatory; primarily eats aphids, mealybugs, scales, and other small soft-bodied insects.
Behavior Patterns
The larvae camouflage themselves by attaching bodies of dead prey and environmental debris to hooked hairs on their backs to hide from predators.
Risks & Benefits
Extremely beneficial to ecosystems as natural pest control. Occasionally bites humans if handled, causing minor temporary irritation, but they are not dangerous.
Identified on: 1/1/2026