Chrysoperla
Encyclopedia
Chrysoperla is a genus
of green lacewings in the insect family Chrysopidae
in the order Neuroptera
. Therein they belong to the Chrysopini, the largest tribe
of subfamily Chrysopinae
.
Members of this genus and the genus Chrysopa
are very common in North America
and Europe
. They share similar characteristics and some species have been moved from one genus to the other and back. Their larvae are predatory
and feed on aphid
s and members of this genus have been used in biological pest control
.
Chrysoperla species are sometimes nearly identical morphologically
but can be readily separated based on the vibration signals used to attract mates. For example the southern European Chrysoperla mediterranea looks almost identical to its northern relative C. carnea (Common Green Lacewing), but their courtship "songs" are very different; individuals of one species will not react to the other's vibrations.
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of green lacewings in the insect family Chrysopidae
Chrysopidae
Green lacewings are insects in the large family Chrysopidae of the order Neuroptera. There are about 85 genera and 1,300–2,000 species in this widespread group...
in the order Neuroptera
Neuroptera
The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order contains some 6,010 species...
. Therein they belong to the Chrysopini, the largest tribe
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
of subfamily Chrysopinae
Chrysopinae
Chrysopinae is a subfamily of green lacewings in the insect family Chrysopidae in the order Neuroptera. They are the nominate taxon and largest member of the green lacewing family , containing about 60 genera....
.
Members of this genus and the genus Chrysopa
Chrysopa
Chrysopa is a genus of green lacewings in the insect family Chrysopidae in the order Neuroptera.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...
are very common in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. They share similar characteristics and some species have been moved from one genus to the other and back. Their larvae are predatory
Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
and feed on aphid
Aphid
Aphids, also known as plant lice and in Britain and the Commonwealth as greenflies, blackflies or whiteflies, are small sap sucking insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions...
s and members of this genus have been used in biological pest control
Biological pest control
Biological control of pests in agriculture is a method of controlling pests that relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms...
.
Chrysoperla species are sometimes nearly identical morphologically
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
but can be readily separated based on the vibration signals used to attract mates. For example the southern European Chrysoperla mediterranea looks almost identical to its northern relative C. carnea (Common Green Lacewing), but their courtship "songs" are very different; individuals of one species will not react to the other's vibrations.
Selected species
New species of Chrysoperla are still being described, particularly since the genus contains at least one cryptic species complexCryptic species complex
In biology, a cryptic species complex is a group of species which satisfy the biological definition of species—that is, they are reproductively isolated from each other—but whose morphology is very similar ....
.