Bug FAQAustralian Variable Lacewing
Drepanacra binocula · Order: Neuroptera · Family: Hemerobiidae
Also called: Australian Variable Brown Lacewing
The Australian variable lacewing has brown, uniquely shaped wings that set it apart from other lacewings. It lives across Australia and New Zealand, including several offshore islands, and is usually found where its prey insects gather in colonies. Both larvae and adults feed on a range of small sap-sucking insects such as aphids, whiteflies and psyllids.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Its wings are brown and have a distinctive shape that helps identify it.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults are typically seen in groups where the insects they hunt are abundant.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are most often found in colonies of their prey insects.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The life cycle includes egg, three larval stages, a pupal stage inside a cocoon, and then the adult.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs throughout Australia and New Zealand, including Lord Howe, Norfolk and the Kermadec Islands.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the Australian variable lacewing eat?
It feeds on many small sap-sucking insects, including aphids, whiteflies and psyllids.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the Australian variable lacewing found?
It is native to Australia and New Zealand and occurs on islands such as Lord Howe, Norfolk and the Kermadec Islands.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hemerobiidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drepanacra_binocula
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.