Laboratory studies with a predator commonly found in the Amazon and Atlantic forests of Brazil, Leucochrysa (Leucochrysa) varia (Schneider, 1851), revealed some characteristics that are atypical for green lacewings found in the tropics. First, its life cycle (egg to adult emergence) is relatively long, between 48 (24ºC) and 80 days (18ºC). Second, temperatures above 27ºC are inappropriate for its development, since no specimen reached the adult stage under 27 and 30ºC and linear relationship between developmental rate and temperature, for all stages, was only observed between 18 and 24ºC. Third, the lower thermal thresholds, between 7 and 10ºC, depending on the stage, is relatively low. Fourth, even though L.varia larvae are trash-carriers, they spend little of their time (20% or less) loading detritus on their back, a proportion that apparently does not interfere with their developmental time. These results suggest that L.varia larvae probably explore microhabitats in the forest with temperatures much lower than those observed outside, and the large amount of time spent resting suggests that immobility is an important defense strategy, along with camouflaging.
Leucochrysini; life cycle; survival; temperature effect; trash-carrier
