snakefly
Long-necked flying insect
Snakeflies are slender predatory insects with an elongated neck-like thorax that gives them a snake-like appearance when they raise their head.
They belong to the order Raphidioptera and are found mainly in wooded areas of the Northern Hemisphere, where both adults and larvae feed on aphids and other small insects.
Despite their somewhat alarming look, snakeflies are harmless to humans and beneficial as pest controllers.
Gossamer-winged beneficial insect
Stretched beyond usual dimensions
- ovipositorInsect egg-laying appendage
- antennaeSensory appendages on insects
- mandiblesPaired arthropod mouthparts
- thoraxCentral body cavity
venation · exoskeleton · wingspan · head · abdomen · segments · mouthparts · cervical
Jointed-limb invertebrate phylum
- hexapodSix-legged arthropod
- invertebrateAnimal sans backbone
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
- entomologyStudy of insects
species · order · family · larvae · instar · metamorphosis · classification
Sap-sucking garden pest
- preyAnimal being hunted
- carnivorousFeeding on animal flesh
- ambushSurprise strike from concealment
- hunterPursuer of prey
voracious · capture · feed · beneficial · pest-control · larvae · mite · insectivore
Sharp canine vocalization
- woodlandForested land area
- forestTree-dense ecosystem
- deciduousSheds foliage seasonally
- coniferousProducing woody cones
tree · foliage · canopy · temperate · arboreal · deadwood · crevice · lichen
Hardened ancient tree secretion
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- MesozoicAge of Reptiles
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
paleontology · extinct · ancient · fossilized · primitive · relict · living-fossil
lacewing
Gossamer-winged beneficial insect
elongated
Stretched beyond usual dimensions
- ovipositorInsect egg-laying appendage
- antennaeSensory appendages on insects
- mandiblesPaired arthropod mouthparts
thorax · venation · exoskeleton · wingspan · head · abdomen · segments · mouthparts · cervical · slender
arthropod
Jointed-limb invertebrate phylum
- hexapodSix-legged arthropod
- invertebrateAnimal sans backbone
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
entomology · species · order · family · larvae · instar · metamorphosis · classification
aphid
Sap-sucking garden pest
- preyAnimal being hunted
- carnivorousFeeding on animal flesh
- ambushSurprise strike from concealment
hunter · voracious · capture · feed · beneficial · pest-control · larvae · mite · insectivore · predation
bark
Sharp canine vocalization
coniferous · tree · foliage · canopy · temperate · arboreal · deadwood · crevice · lichen
amber
Hardened ancient tree secretion
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- MesozoicAge of Reptiles
prehistoric · paleontology · extinct · ancient · fossilized · primitive · relict · living-fossil