Langstone, Hampshire: This species will overwinter here and stock the garden with voracious ‘aphid lions’
Once the sun has set, there’s a chill in the air, but it’s still mild enough to leave my bedroom windows wide open at night. As soon as I switch on the lights, the glow acts as an irresistible invitation to every passing crane fly, moth, mosquito and midge, though they aren’t the only winged insects to be lured towards the light source – a phenomenon known as positive phototaxis.
It’s the slight iridescence of its translucent, reticulated wings that first draws my eye to the creature clinging to my ceiling lampshade. Climbing up on my bed for a closer look, I discover it’s a common green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea). Just 1.5cm in length, it has a slender, pale pistachio-green body, long thread-like antennae and oversized eyes the colour of burnished copper.
Continue reading...from Home And Garden | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2GnaTLb
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment