About Polystoechotes punctata (Fabricius, 1793)
Polystoechotes punctata is a species of giant lacewing that belongs to the family Ithonidae. This species is native to Central America and North America. By the 1950s, it was thought to have been extirpated from eastern North America. In 2012, the species was serendipitously rediscovered in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where an individual was found clinging to the exterior facade of a Walmart building. The 2012 specimen was misidentified, and its correct identity was not confirmed until 2020. Polystoechotes punctata is a winged insect that can grow up to two inches in size.
