How do spiders prey on lacewings and other neuropterans?

Spiders capture neuropterans—which include insects such as lacewings—primarily by using their webs to ensnare both the adult and terrestrial larval stages of these insects.1

Beyond web-based capture, spiders employ a variety of hunting strategies to secure prey, which generally include:

• Stalking and Pouncing: Active hunters like wolf spiders and jumping spiders use their keen eyesight to locate prey, stalking them before pouncing once they are within range.2
• Ambush Predation: Some spiders, such as crab spiders, wait for prey on flowers that match their own coloration, grasping the insect with their legs and delivering a lethal bite.2
• Silk-based Traps: Various species utilize silk in specialized ways, such as constructing silk-lined tubes or using trip threads that vibrate to alert the spider to a victim's presence.2
• Active Entanglement: Spitting spiders capture prey by shooting a zigzag stream of sticky material over them, effectively immobilizing the insect before moving in to bite.2

These interactions are a natural part of terrestrial food webs, where spiders serve as significant predators of various insects.3