
Community identification
Lace Bug
Family Tingidae
- Order & Family
- Order Hemiptera, Family Tingidae
- Size
- 2 to 10 millimeters (0.08 to 0.4 inches)
Natural Habitat
Found on the undersides of leaves of various trees and shrubs, including sycamore, oak, and azalea.
Diet & Feeding
Herbivorous; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on the sap from the undersides of leaves, causing stippling or yellowing.
Behavior Patterns
They are typically slow-moving and spend most of their lives on a single host plant. Some species are known to occasionally bite humans if they land on skin, though they do not feed on blood.
Risks & Benefits
Primarily a garden and agricultural pest that can damage ornamental plants. Their bites to humans are incidental, usually causing only minor, short-lived irritation or a small itchy bump.