16
$\begingroup$

I just was bitten by a bug!!! It is 3mm long and has large pincers. Here is a photo: enter image description here I live in Colorado. Any help identifying it would be great.

Improve this question
$\endgroup$

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
24
$\begingroup$

It's a larva of a green lacewing (Family Chrysopidae). Yes, they can bite hard but you're not its intended victim and they're not only harmless but beneficial as they're aggressive predators of aphids and other soft bodied plant pests. I can't be specific to what species of lacewing as they look fairly similar.

Another larva that looks very similar to yours.

enter image description here Source from BugGuide.net

What the adult looks like (remember,they're an entire insect family so there are differences but not to most people).

enter image description here Source also from BugGuide.net

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Wow! Thanks for the quick identification. Glad I caught it and released it ;) $\endgroup$
    – Murenrb
    Commented Jul 21, 2017 at 14:09
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ That's rather interesting. The larva itself seems terribly threatening, while the lacewing looks cute! $\endgroup$
    – Johansson
    Commented Jul 22, 2017 at 6:58
21
$\begingroup$

That's a larva of an insect from the Order Neuroptera, probably from the Family Chrysopidae. Their common name in English is green lacewings.

Here is a larva very similar to your specimen:

enter image description here

Source: https://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/insects/newslides/023neurop2line.jpg

Here is another one, also from the Family Chrysopidae (the colour pattern is not quite the same, but you can see the resemblance):

enter image description here

Source: http://bugguide.net/node/view/803060

And here is the imago (adult), for comparison:

enter image description here

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroptera#/media/File:Crisopid_July_2013-9a.jpg

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
7
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ When I gathered my links to post an answer, there wasn't one yet. But you obviously beat me to it! $\endgroup$
    – Jude
    Commented Jul 21, 2017 at 2:21
  • 4
    $\begingroup$ Doing it on my phone with quick breaks to look after lemon muffins I was making. Multi-tasking. :) $\endgroup$
    – Jude
    Commented Jul 21, 2017 at 8:13
  • $\begingroup$ Have to use phone (tablet charge was low & computer sadly has a glitch & can't be accessed till fixed). Using SE app but still frustrating. $\endgroup$
    – Jude
    Commented Jul 21, 2017 at 8:19
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ No, Geraldo, I think you might've misunderstood me. I wasn't trying to be the first. At the time I saw the question, no one had answered. I knew what it was but also knew I couldn't simply give an answer without references. There are other times species ID is a puzzle to me so I see if I can figure it out as a challenge to myself but don't bother answering since I'm sure someone will later. It's not a contest for me. I'm not that sort of person. I'm not at all competitive. Did you think I was trying to be first? If so, I apologise. My comment about you beating me was made light-heartedly. $\endgroup$
    – Jude
    Commented Jul 22, 2017 at 2:41
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ FWIW, I don't think the app shows the "1 new answer to this question" in real time like the site does. I'd assume innocence (especially since @Jude insists that was the case). $\endgroup$
    – maxathousand
    Commented Jul 24, 2017 at 13:04

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .