Junk bug (also known as a Green Lacewing Larva)
Scientific Name: Chrysoperla spp. (family Chrysopidae)
Order & Family: Order: Neuroptera; Family: Chrysopidae
Size: 2 to 10 mm (approx. 1/16 to 3/8 inch) in length.
Natural Habitat
Gardens, agricultural fields, and wooded areas worldwide; often found on leaves and stems where aphids are present.
Diet & Feeding
Voracious predators (aphid lions); they eat aphids, mites, scale insects, insect eggs, and other small soft-bodied arthropods.
Behavior Patterns
They are nicknamed 'junk bugs' because they use curved bristles on their backs to carry a 'trash' shield made of dried insect husks, debris, and lichen to camouflage themselves from predators.
Risks & Benefits
Highly beneficial to the ecosystem and gardeners as biological pest control; they pose no risk to humans, though they may occasionally deliver a minor, harmless nip if handled.
Identified on: 1/2/2026