Aussie's bizarre find after leaving clothes outside: 'I'd be chuffed'
Have you seen these little creatures in your garden before?
Insects are not usually a welcome find on clothes and in the home, but one tiny bug is proving that not all are as bad as they seem.
What looks like a row of tiny, yellow eggs attached to the end of a thin piece of hair were found by one Aussie on an item of their clothing after it was left hanging outside overnight.
Photos of the discovery were shared online with the confused person trying to get to the bottom of what these strange things were. "What is this?" they asked.
Hundreds show support for tiny insect after identification
Many were immediately able to identify the little eggs, excitedly sharing they were from a lacewing and a good thing to see.
"Lacewing eggs!!! And the larvae are so cool! They cosplay with all kinds of different stuff they find. Like moss, sticks, dead ants, cotton flowers and so many other neat stuff. I'd be chuffed!" one person responded.
"I used to work on vineyards and we would look out for lacewing eggs as it meant we had beneficial predatory insects, and this is exactly what we looked for," another confirmed.
One person even pointed out that you can order these insects from online stores so that you can release them into your garden to help with pests.
'Amazing' backyard discovery stuns Aussies: 'Very beneficial'
Tourists to blame for 'unprecedented' poo problem in Aussie bushland
Lacewing eggs are a surprisingly good sign for the garden
Nicole Gunter, Scientist and Curator Entomology at Queensland Museum, confirmed with Yahoo News these are lacewing eggs.
"Lacewings are pretty indiscriminate as to where they lay their eggs. Adults are crepuscular or nocturnal, and eggs are laid at night [and] it’s by chance the female lacewing laid eggs on the washing left outside overnight," she said. "The larvae that hatch from these eggs are predators of aphids and other small insects, so they won’t eat clothing, but instead are beneficial to have around the garden."
Aphids are small sap-sucking insects including the greenfly and blackfly which are often a nuisance to homeowners due to the sticky sap they produce.
Entomologist Dr Andrew Mitchell previously told Yahoo commercial greenhouses growing vegetables will "often release them" into the greenhouse because of their benefits.
Lacewing fast facts
Lacewings are found across Australia and are commonly encountered in urban areas, where adults are readily attracted to lights.
Their wings vary in colour from bright green to brown, and black.
Eggs are often laid on stalks, singly or in batches.
Most species are predators that feed on other invertebrates. Some, who eat aphids and scales, are highly beneficial insects in crops and gardens.
They are generally harmless and, while rare, if one bites a human it will likely only cause minor irritation.
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the week’s best stories.
