Lacewing Larva
Family: Chrysopidae
33.1384, -117.051
Field Notes
Description:
This thing was gross. It has large mandibles, mottled shades of brown on its body and white hairs. There are two dark spots about mid way on its "back". It was about 5mm long and was crawling around on and under this flower. The video shows it moving around and eating. "The larvae are specialized predators, with elongated mandibles adapted for piercing and sucking. The larval body form varies between different families, depending on the nature of their prey. In general, however, they have three pairs of thoracic legs, each ending in two claws. The abdomen often has adhesive discs on the last two segments" - Wikipedia
Habitat:
African Daisy flower in backyard.
Notes:
Star Trek ear bug? :) "The larvae of most families are predators. Many chrysopids eat aphids and other pest insects, and have been used for biological control (either from commercial distributors but also abundant and widespread in nature). Larvae in various families cover themselves in debris (sometimes including dead prey insects) as camouflage, taken to an extreme in the ant lions, which bury themselves completely out of sight and ambush prey from "pits" in the soil. Larvae of some Ithonidae are root feeders, and larvae of Sisyridae are aquatic, and feed on freshwater sponges. A few mantispids are parasites of spider egg sacs." - Wikipedia
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