Green Lacewing

Green lacewing larvae are nicknamed 'aphid lions' for their voracious predation—a single larva may consume 200 aphids during development. The larvae are specialist predators, equipped with hollow sickle-shaped mandibles that impale prey and extract fluids. But adults are entirely different: delicate, gentle insects that feed on pollen, nectar, and honeydew. They do not hunt. The same genome produces fierce predator in one life stage and peaceful herbivore in another.

This lifecycle role reversal separates resource competition between stages. Larvae and adults exploit completely different resources—no parent-offspring competition, no stage-specific resource depletion affecting subsequent stages. The strategy enables complete utilization of different ecological opportunities at different times without interference.

Lacewing eggs demonstrate another unusual adaptation: they're laid on silk stalks that elevate them above the surface. This prevents sibling cannibalism—freshly hatched larvae would eat unhatched eggs if they could reach them. Even the mother's egg-laying behavior reflects predator management, protecting offspring from each other. The business parallel illuminates lifecycle-differentiated strategies. Companies might similarly pursue radically different strategies at different growth stages—aggressive acquisition as 'larvae,' stable optimization as 'adults.' The lacewing model suggests that completely different capabilities and behaviors may be appropriate at different lifecycle stages, and that what works for growth may differ entirely from what works for maturity.