Bug FAQSinuated Spoonwing
Nemoptera sinuata · Order: Neuroptera · Family: Nemopteridae
The Sinuated Spoonwing is a diurnal lacewing about 16 mm long with a wingspan near 55 mm. It lives in forests, open grasslands and near river gorges across the Balkans and western Turkey, feeding mainly on pollen from a few wildflowers.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Nemoptera sinuata is a day-active spoonwing lacewing in the family Nemopteridae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure about 16 mm in body length and have a wingspan of roughly 55 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found in forests, open grasslands and fly near river gorges.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults mainly eat pollen, especially from Alyssum murale, Cota austriaca and Achillea coarctata. Larvae are unusual among lacewings, preferring water and plant sap rather than other insects.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Females lay up to 70 eggs on the ground in the early morning, and the eggs stay dormant for about 23 to 25 days before hatching.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from mid-May to late June.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Their range covers the Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria, East Thrace, Greece, North Macedonia, and Turkey.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemoptera_sinuata
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.