Junk bug (Green Lacewing Larva)

Natural Habitat

Gardens, agricultural fields, forests, and residential landscapes on foliage where prey is abundant.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivorous; they primarily eat aphids, mites, scale insects, and other soft-bodied garden pests.

Behavior Patterns

Larvae are known for camouflaging themselves by attaching debris, including the carcasses of their prey, to their backs using hooked bristles called tubercles. They are highly active hunters.

Risks & Benefits

They are highly beneficial to ecosystems and gardeners as a natural form of pest control. While they may occasionally give a small, harmless nip to human skin if handled, they are not dangerous and do not transmit diseases.

Identified on: 6/17/2026