Chrysopa is a genus of green lacewings in the neuropteran family Chrysopidae.
Members of this genus and the genus Chrysoperla are common in much of North America, Europe and Asia. They share similar characteristics and some species have been moved from one genus to the other and back again. Their larvae are predatory and feed on aphids and members of this genus have been used in biological pest control.
William Elford Leach first described this genus in 1815 in Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopædia. Albert Koebele introduced species of Chrysopa to New Zealand in the 1890s, as a method to combat aphids, however no Chrysopa species were able to establish.
The green lacewing is more than just a beautiful insect; it is a symbol of transformation, protection, purity, and balance. Its presence in your life may be a reminder to appreciate the small things, embrace change, and maintain a pure heart.
The green lacewing Chrysopa formosa is a promising polyphagous predator that is widely used in the biocontrol of various pests in China, but information on the control efficiency of this predator against the seriously invasive pest Spodoptera frugiperda and native Spodoptera litura is limited.
Larvae impale their prey, inject an enzyme that dissolves the body contents, and then use their jaws to suck out the digested material. One lacewing may consume up to 150 aphids per week. Lacewing larva feeding on green aphids.
