All images on this website have been taken in Leicestershire and Rutland by NatureSpot members. We welcome new contributions - just register and use the Submit Records form to post your photos. Click on any image below to visit the species page. The RED / AMBER / GREEN dots indicate how easy it is to identify the species - see our Identification Difficulty page for more information. A coloured rating followed by an exclamation mark denotes that different ID difficulties apply to either males and females or to the larvae - see the species page for more detail.
Lacewings & Scorpionflies
This group includes a number of very common and frequently encountered insects. However identifying the species isn't obvious for most species. Fortunately there are a few good resources to help with this.
Useful websites and publications
Gloucester Mecopteran - a useful free guide to the three UK species of scorpionflies and how to identify them.
Key to the Adults of British Lacewings and their Allies, Colin Plant - this Aidgap publication from the FSC is the best resource around for this group. A bargain at £8.
If you know of other websites or books that you would recommend, do let us know: info@naturespot.org
Lacewings - Neuroptera
Hemerobiidae
Chrysopidae
Osmylidae
Sisyridae - Spongeflies or Spongillaflies
Coniopterygidae - Dustywings or Waxwinged Lacewings
Alder flies - Megaloptera
Sialidae
Scorpionflies - Mecoptera
Males can be identified from a good photograph showing the valves on the top of the genital capsule. Females need to be dissected. This guide offers useful images and drawings of what to look for.
Panorpidae
Boreidae - Snow Fleas
Snakeflies - Raphidioptera
Snakeflies are rarely encountered as they spend most of their adult lives in the tree canopy. There is just one family (Raphidiidae) with four British species.
