Interestingly enough, I have only found this critter in one place – close to one of the ponds near my office.  I have never found one by my house or in any of the parks.  Therefore, my suspicion is that – while obviously not aquatic – whatever this grows up into prefers to be near water.

From the front of the insect, it is clearly carnivorous.  As frightening as it looks, it is harmless to humans.  As this one tried to escape, I grabbed it lightly to place it on a leaf to photograph.  It did not bite me and was very timid when placed on the leaf.

Here is a shot of the length of the insect.

Someday when I finally have some method to keep insects for photography, I would like to see one of these mature into whatever it may become.  However, I may have some difficulty finding whatever it eats.

If anyone has any idea what this is, I would greatly appreciate it.

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However, as will soon be evident, this highly beneficial bug has a rather macabre habit.

Lacewings, of the order Neuroptera, are highly beneficial insects in the garden.  They feed heavily on aphids, scales, and other pests in the garden.  However, as some of you know, many aphids are tended by ants, who use their sugary secretions as food and in return protect the aphids from enemies.  Though fierce, a lacewing larva is no match for a group of ants.

To solve this problem, the larva creates a form of camouflage – consisting of various ‘junk’.  It then uses this camouflage in a similar way to the wolf wearing a sheep disguise.  When covered with this ‘disguise’, the ants often do not bother the lacewing and it can have its fill of appetizing aphids.  This is covered in the book, For the Love of Insects, which I have not read yet but is on my wish list to purchase soon.

Here’s another shot of it looking up at the camera.

However, the disguise they use isn’t just any disguise.  While some lacewings do use various things they find, many lacewings use the carcasses of past victims.  I suspect their is a particular reason for this.  Perhaps if a lacewing covers itself with the bodies of aphids, the ants will take it as an aphid too.  After all, as I understand most ants do not use sight nearly as much as they use chemical signals.  Here’s a closer shot of it.

In this shot it does appear that on its back is the carcass of something it ate.  I suspect that this particular type of lacewing doesn’t primarily feed on aphids, as it was found in a location where aphids are not common (they are by the roses and other flowers, not on the patio furniture).  I was very happy to find this bug, as I have seen several pictures of them and had hoped to find one myself, so this is a big CHECK on my list.

When I was in Peru someone asked me what would finally satisfy me in terms of a wildlife sighting.  I responded that when I see two Goeldi monkeys (very rare) riding a jaguar, I would be finished.  The corollary in the insect world would be to see two giant lacewings (suspected to be exctinct) fluttering around a giant earwig (believed to be exctinct).  When I have seen that, my list will be complete.

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Contrast this to identifying anthropods.  I’m not exactly sure how many anthropod species have been identified.  However, there are currently 900,000 known species of insects, which are a subset of anthropods.  Just in Washington State, over 700 species of spiders have been identified.  Even today new species are occasionally found here.  Therefore, it can be very tricky identifying whatever I find.  This specimen currently perplexes me.

I took this picture by the ponds near my office.  Several days before I took some other shots of it.

When I blogged about it, Myrmecos mentioned that it might be the larva of a rove beetle.  Based on some research on the web, I think this is the closest match.  Here’s the closest shot I could find.  Notice that the double tails are very similar – with very similar spikes.  While this larva is obviously not the same one in the picture, it appears that his is some type of rove beetle larva.  Perhaps this species only exists in this part of the country and therefore there is little literature on it.

I hope in the near future to make contact with some local entomologists who may have a better idea, but for now I am happy that I have a general idea what this may be.

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