Peyerimhoffina gracilis

Appearance

P. gracilis can be easily confused with some other species, such as those in the extremely common Chrysoperla carnea group. The wings are more slender than those of Chrysoperla spp and often have more or less conspicuous milky white streaks in the membrane. Most Chrysoperla spp will have a small reddish spot on the sides of the nose, but on the Peyerimhoffina the red colouring usually is much more extended over large parts of the head, often including the base of the antenna and some of the cranium.
The first cross vein between the radius sector (Rs) and the media (M) is touching the media at the tip of the intermedial cell (Im) - in Chrysoperla it usually touches on M clearly beyond Im, but aberrative individuals with the cross vein closer to Im (thus resembling Peyerimhoffina) do occur fairly frequently.
Furthermore in Peyerimhoffina there is no complete second series of staircase cross veins near the tip of the wing (some single veins at most).

Behavior

Peyerimhoffina gracilis normally has a development cycle in Pine and other evergreen conifers. It is one of very few species of Chrysopidae that overwinters as an adult (most will overwinter either as egg or as larvae) and due to the evergreen habitat it does not change to a more brownish colouring during winter (in contrast to most Chrysoperla spp, that will change to orangy or dark reddish brown in winter).