
Community identification
Junk bug (Green lacewing larva)
Chrysoperla rufilabris (Example species)
- Order & Family
- Neuroptera, Chrysopidae
- Size
- 3mm to 10mm (1/8 to 3/8 inch)
Natural Habitat
Found globally in gardens, forests, agricultural fields, and often on human structures like walls or windows.
Diet & Feeding
Carnivorous; they primarily eat aphids, mites, thrips, and other small soft-bodied insects using hollow mandibles to suck out fluids.
Behavior Patterns
Called 'junk bugs' because they use adhesive silk and curved hairs to pile debris and the sucked-dry carcasses of their prey onto their backs for camouflage.
Risks & Benefits
They are highly beneficial to gardens as natural pest control. While harmless to humans, they can occasionally deliver a minor, non-venomous defensive nip if handled.