Blue eyes looking black

An insect that is reasonably common in our area and generally seen at night, when it is attracted to the house lights, is the Common Lacewing or Blue Eyed Lacewing Nymphes myrmeloonides. This one had come in the house and had managed to get spiderweb around the wing tips and was not able to fly, so it was rescued, placed outside and the web removed for the photo.

 

They are one of the largest of the Lacewings, about 40mm in length and they are the adult of one of the Ant-lion larva species that build insect traps for their prey. Their eyes at certain angles and in torch light show bright blue, hence the name.