Bug FAQLacewing Parasitoid Wasp
Anacharis zealandica · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Figitidae
Also called: Lacewing Parasite Wasp
Adults are about 5 mm long, have a glossy body, lighter brown legs, and two pairs of transparent scaly wings, the front pair being larger. They are native to New Zealand and also occur in Australia, preferring cooler areas with low canopy cover and often visiting buckwheat flowers. Adults feed on nectar from buckwheat, on pea aphids and on honeydew; they develop from eggs inside Micromus tasmaniae, spend 13-17 days as larvae, 7-19 days as pupae, and live 2-3 weeks as adults.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The body is glossy and shiny, the legs are a lighter brown, and both wing pairs are transparent, scaly and thin, with the front pair larger.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
An adult is roughly 5 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Adults prefer slightly cooler temperatures and areas with low canopy cover, often near buckwheat flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed on nectar from buckwheat flowers, on pea aphids, and on honeydew.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The life cycle begins as an egg inside Micromus tasmaniae, followed by a larval stage of about 13-17 days, a pupal stage of 7-19 days, and an adult stage lasting 2-3 weeks.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Eating buckwheat flowers can extend the adult’s lifespan.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to New Zealand and has also been found throughout Australia.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What does Anacharis zealandica look like?
It has a glossy, shiny body, lighter brown legs, and two pairs of transparent, scaly wings, the front pair larger.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Anacharis zealandica found?
It is native to New Zealand and also occurs throughout Australia.
Source: Wikipedia
What does Anacharis zealandica eat?
Adults feed on nectar from buckwheat flowers, on pea aphids, and on honeydew.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anacharis_zealandica
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.