Die Larve einer #Chrysopini #florfliege im März.

A #lacewing larva in march

#greenLacewing

#apertochrysa

Chrysoperla carnea.
#FotoVorschlag 'Farbe: #Grün (keine Pflanzen)'

Today’s #PhotoSuggestion (Color: #green, but no plants) practically calls for this picture, which I took many years ago in the bathroom mirror after a long hike. It was a bit depressing to trudge through the woods for hours with my finger on the shutter button, only to have this snapshot served up on a silver platter just before brushing my teeth ;-).

As I later learned, this is a fully grown common #lacewing (gemeine #Florfliege), which, in its younger days, effectively took care of those pesky aphids. This little monument is therefore well deserved by the hero of the plants!

#photooftheday #picoftheday #photography #fotografie #fotografia #insects #insect #insectphotography #greenlacewing #fineartphotography #mirror #reflection #reflectionphotography #macro #macrophotography #closeup

I enjoy standing still in the forest to observe my surroundings. After a moment, I start to see and hear – and forget everything else. My worries are not allowed to accompany me there. It's quiet in the forest in March, until it isn't. I hear a goldcrest there, a coal tit and treecreeper here, and a raven in the distance. I see something delicate on a juniper branch...

Little moments of happiness.

#greenlacewing
#chrysopidae
#commonjuniper
#juniperuscommunis
#helsinki
#finland
#march
#spring

An update on #GreenLacewing larvae: They were voracious, and I have not had any aphid problems. They ran out of stuff to eat, and they cannibalized each other. The larvae were small enough that nobody noticed them unless I made a point of showing them. They liked to hide, and remained near plants. I never saw an adult, so they were either eaten by carnivorous plants or just flew outside when I was not looking. Absolutely worth the cost, and fun to watch if you are not skittish about bugs.

The #GreenLacewing eggs are hatching, and the larvae are quite small (and yet easy to identify). At a normal magnification, most folks would not notice. When I use my new #MacroPhotography lens, I can see them more clearly. So far, I am genuinely enjoying the release of these in the #IndoorGardening and #HousePlant space. #BeneficialInsects seem far easier to use than other methods. Now, let’s just see if they work!