Black Lacewing - Stilbopteryx walkeri

Family Myrmeleontidae

This page contains pictures and information about Black Lacewings that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.


Black Lacewing - male, body length 35mm

Black Lacewing are large in size, with dark brown to black colour body. They are the good flyer comparing with the other Lacewings species. Their two pairs of large wings are equal in size. They may miss-recognized as dragonflies when flying. However, they fly in a lower speed and rest most of the time. They cannot turn quickly in the air as dragonfly.



We found this species once. In Dec 2007, we found this male Black Lacewing in Karawatha Forest, Brisbane. it rested like a Owl-fly. But its short and clubbed antenna tell that it is in the Myrmeleontidae family. When we chasing this Black Lacewing, it always flied a short distance, about a few meter, and rested on dead tree and dry stem close to the ground.

Reference and Link:
1. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus & Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p324.
2. Dragonflies and Lacewings - Australian Museum 2004
3. Stilbopteryx costalis - Australian Faunal Directory, Australian Biological Resources Study.
4. A new genus and key to the species of Australian Stilbopterygidae (Neuroptera). Riek, E.F. (1968), J. Aust. Entomol. Soc. 7: 105-108.
5. The family Stilbopterygidae (Neuroptera) in Australia. Riek, E.F. (1976), J. Aust. Entomol. Soc. 15: 297-302