Classification
Scientific Name: Chrysopa oculata
Chrysopa oculata means "precious topaz eyes" in
English.
Common Name: Goldeneyed Lacewing
This species is called the goldeneyed lacewing because
of their distinguishing
physical characteristics of having
bright golden or topaz colored eyes as well as thin, almost
translucent wings that are lightly veined to form lace-like
patterns (Dunn 1996).
Domain: Eukarya
Comprises eukaryotes or organisms
whose cells contain a true nucleus.
Kingdom: Animalia
Taxonomic kingdom comprising all
living or extinct animals.
Phylum: Arthropoda
A large division of articulata,
embracing all those that have jointed legs (Biology Online 2012).
Class: Insecta
The class Insecta is sometimes referred to as the class
Hexapoda, because insects have six legs (the prefix “hex” means
six and the suffix “pod” means foot).
There are several distinguishing features of insects,
including:
1. An exoskeleton divided
into three parts, a head, a thorax, and an abdomen
2. Three pairs of jointed
legs in adult insects
3. One pair of antennae
4. Wings on most adults,
but never on immature insects
5. One pair of compound
eyes in adults and sometimes in immature insects (Dunn 1996)
Order: Neuroptera
The order neuropteran is recognized by several
features. Some of these include chewing mouth parts in the
animals, two pairs of membranous wings with many veins, an
elongated body that may be brown, green, gray, or black, and
finally antennae that are thin and long (Dunn 1996).
Suborder: Planipennia
The suborder Planipennia has “smaller, many-veined,
lacelike, transparent wings that are held together rooflike over
the back when not in use” (Dunn 1996).
Family: Chrysopidae
The common name for the family Chrysopidae is the green
lacewings, because of their green bodies and veined, membranous
wings that have a lacey pattern.
These insects are medium in size and range from around ten to
twenty millimeters in length (Arnett 1985).
Genus: Chrysopa
Members of the genus Chrysopa are found in abundance on
the continents of North American, Europe, and Asia.
The larvae of these insects are “predatory and feed on
aphids and
members of this genus have been used in biological pest control”
(EOL 2012).
For more information on the genus Chrysopa, follow the
hyperlink to the Encyclopedia of Life:
http://eol.org/pages/50381/entries/34217790/overview
Species: Chrysopa oculata
The species is known by its distinct coloring patterns,
including green bodies with light green veined wings, a black
banding around the head, and most noticeably, their golden eyes,
for which they are named.
The species can further be divided into eight subspecies, each
with its own unique coloring scheme (Dunn 1996).
For more specific identification information, follow
the hyperlink to the website of the University of Alberta E. H.
Strickland Entomological Museum:
http://www.entomology.ualberta.ca/searching_species_details.php?c=8&rnd=36010003&s=5948