Debris-carrying Lacewing Larva (commonly known as a Junk Bug or Trash Bug)
Scientific Name: Chrysoperla spp. (within the Chrysopidae family)
Order & Family: Order: Neuroptera; Family: Chrysopidae
Size: 1 mm to 10 mm (approx. 1/16 to 3/8 inch) in length.
Natural Habitat
Gardens, agricultural fields, forests, and shrubbery across most of the world.
Diet & Feeding
Voracious carnivores that eat aphids, mites, scale insects, and other soft-bodied garden pests.
Behavior Patterns
The larva uses specialized hairs on its back (hooked setae) to attach debris, such as the carcasses of its prey, lichen, and dust, to its body as camouflage against predators like birds or ants.
Risks & Benefits
Highly beneficial to the ecosystem and gardeners as biological pest control; however, they occasionally give humans a minor, harmless nip if they land on skin, which might cause small red bumps or short-lived irritation.
Identified on: 3/26/2026