Brown Lacewing Water Bucket Rescue

It looked like a tiny soggy moth wing floating on top of the animal’s water bucket.  I was sure it was dead, but I’d been fooled before.

So I scooped it out with the tip of my finger and looked at it closely.  That’s when I saw an even tinier leg emerge from the wing.

I watched as the insect unfolded, shook, and straightened itself out.  Soon it was walking across the palm of my hand, leaving a trail of water behind it as it dried off.

When it got to the space between my fingers and thumb, it stood up and did this little “dance”.

I figured my hand had given it the warmth it needed to dry off and revive.  I didn’t get to see it fly away. When I placed a piece of hay near its head, the Brown Lacewing climbed onto it.  I left the hay in the barn window, where it would be safe.

Brown Lacewings are good insects to have around.  They survive in very cold temperatures and eat other insects that are harmful to plants such as aphids and whiteflies.

I never heard of a Brown Lacewing before finding this one in the water bucket and identifying it online.  This little insect gave me the gift of getting to know it.