Adult brown lacewings are predatory. Although many species are more common in low-growing vegetation than in tree canopies, adults are common in apple trees in our area. Brown lacewings often have a lower developmental threshold temperature than their aphid prey, making them useful early in the season. Adults fly earlier in the evening than green lacewings. Females start to lay eggs when 3-7 days old.
Eggs lack the stalk found in green lacewing eggs.
Eggs are usually deposited on apple buds or twigs having aphid colonies. Females may lay 100-460 eggs each. The first abdominal segment is the same size as the second and third. Larvae consume more than 20 aphids per day, or 30-40 mites per day. Most species have two generations, but range from 1-5.