The larvae of the lacewing Chrysoperla externa are important predators with the potential to be used in the biological control in agriculture. Although some studies provide important data on the gut morphology in lacewings, they are limited to few species. This study describes the anatomy and histology of the alimentary canal in the predatory larvae and herbivorous adult of C. externa. In larvae, the crop is the larger part of the foregut and it is connected to the midgut by the stomodeal valve. The midgut is an enlarged sac-like organ. At the mid-hindgut transition, there are eight Malpighian tubules. The hindgut is a non-functional vestigial region in the larvae. In adults, the crop has a diverticulum associated with large tracheal trunks, a conic proventriculus with sclerotized lips followed by an elongated tubular midgut. Histological analyses of larval and adult midgut show the presence of a single-layered epithelium with columnar cells with well-developed brush border, nests of regenerative cells, and a peritrophic matrix lining the midgut lumen. The hindgut in adults has an epithelium with cubic cells lined by a thin cuticular intima and rectal pads in the rectum. These data are discussed in comparison with the digestive tract in other Chrysopidae.

草蛉幼虫Chrysoperla externa是重要的捕食者，具有用于农业生物防治的潜力。尽管一些研究提供了草蛉肠道形态的重要数据，但它们仅限于少数物种。本研究描述了C. externa的食肉幼虫和食草成虫消化道的解剖结构和组织学. 在幼虫中，作物是前肠的较大部分，它通过 stomodeal 瓣连接到中肠。中肠是一个扩大的囊状器官。在中后肠过渡处，有八个马氏小管。后肠是幼虫中一个无功能的退化区域。在成人中，该作物有一个与大气管干相关的憩室，一个带有硬化嘴唇的圆锥形腺胃，然后是一个细长的管状中肠。幼虫和成虫中肠的组织学分析显示存在单层上皮，柱状细胞具有发达的刷状缘、再生细胞巢和中肠腔内衬的围营养基质。成人的后肠上皮具有立方细胞，内衬薄的角质层内膜和直肠中的直肠垫。