urbpan | 100 Species #67: Goldeneye lacewing

This goldeneye lacewing Chrysopa oculata was found posing in the upstairs bathroom sink. I gently moved it outdoors.

I have to confess some feelings of insecurity as a naturalist today. Perhaps it's just pre-event jitters: tonight we are hosting a group of scientists and naturalists who will be setting up an insect attracting light and identifying what comes to visit. Tomorrow I am participating in the Dedham BioBlitz. The pressure is on to make identifications! A lot of them! In the field! The organizer sent a handy list of known plant species in the area I'll be in for the Blitz--over 250 of them, most of which I'd never heard of, including 7 species of goldenrod and untold numbers of ferns. I printed it out, but looking at it makes me anxious. In an unfortunate coincidence, today I got notification about the identification of the insect pictured above. The message, sent via Bugguide.net, was "Chrysopa oculata, one of the commonest ones --and easiest to tell," sent dismissively enough that the entomologist author didn't bother with capitalization or punctuation. Ouch.

Let's leave that unpleasantness behind us. The green lacewings, like their cousins the brown lacewings are predators of aphids. The young lacewings are renown for their appetite for the plant pests, and this species produces three generations of them in a year in our part of the world. I knew at least some of that when I took this lacewing out to continue its good work in our garden.

As for this weekend, I plan to enjoy my humility and learn a lot about the nature of Dedham.