''Micromus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of lacewings in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Hemerobiidae Hemerobiidae is a family of Neuropteran insects commonly known as brown lacewings, comprising about 500 species in 28 genera. Most are yellow to dark brown, but some species are green. They are small; most have forewings 4–10 mm long (som ...

(the brown lacewings). These small (4–10 mm long) insects are found worldwide.The Global Biodiversity Information Facility: GBIF Backbone Taxonomy doi:10.15468/39omei Accessed via https://www.gbif.org/species/2097002 on 2016-09-12 Like most lacewings, both the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e and adults are

predatory Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

, primarily eating

acarine Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...

s, scale insects,

psyllid Psyllidae, the jumping plant lice or psyllids, are a family of small plant-feeding insects that tend to be very host-specific, i.e. each plant-louse species only feeds on one plant species (monophagous) or feeds on a few closely related plants ...

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...

thrips Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...

, and the eggs of lepidopterans and

whiteflies Whiteflies are Hemipterans that typically feed on the undersides of plant leaves. They comprise the family Aleyrodidae, the only family in the superfamily Aleyrodoidea. More than 1550 species have been described. Description and taxonomy The ...

. The species ''

Micromus tasmaniae ''Micromus tasmaniae'', known as the Tasmanian brown lacewing, is a species of brown lacewing in the family Hemerobiidae. It is widespread in Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands such as New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Description and ecol ...

'' has been mass-bred for biological pest control in Australia.

Species

There are more than 80 species in the genus, and possibly as many as 170. Micromus africanus 009733-1.jpg, ''Micromus africanus'' Micromus angulatus.jpg, ''Micromus angulatus'' Micromus bifasciatus AMNZ75301.jpg, ''Micromus bifasciatus'' Micromus posticus.jpg, ''Micromus posticus'' Micromus variegatus01.jpg, ''Micromus variegatus'' Brown Lacewing Larva (30941270143).jpg, Campodeiform larva of '' Micromus posticus''

References

External links

Hemerobiiformia Neuroptera genera {{neuroptera-stub