Beaded lacewing

Spermophorella maculatissima

FAMILY

Berothidae

TAXONOMY

Spermophorella maculatissima Tillyard, 1916, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

None known.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Relatively small lacewings. Short, narrow body, with wings held vertically over the abdomen. Wings have speckled black, brown, and white pattern on wing veins to aid in camouflage. Body and wing veins are covered with long setae. Newly hatched larvae are elongate with short jaws. Later instars unknown.

DISTRIBUTION

Queensland, Australia.

HABITAT

Arid regions, particularly in open sclerophyll forests.

BEHAVIOR

Adults remain motionless during the day, with the antennae held out in front of the head. They sway their bodies when potential predators are near.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Adults probably are generalist feeders. The larvae of all known berothids are obligate predators on subterranean termites. Larvae presumably use an allomone to subdue their termite prey. First and third instars are active feeders, whereas the second instar is a sedentary, resting stage.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Adult females lay solitary eggs on long, silken stalks. It is thought that the first instar triungulin larvae seek out and enter a suitable termite colony, where they can remain undetected by the termites. The larvae undergo hypermetamorphic development.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not listed by the IUCN.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

None known.