Bug Identifier
Lace Bug
Community identification

Lace Bug

Family Tingidae

Order & Family
Order Hemiptera, Family Tingidae
Size
2 to 10 millimeters (0.08 to 0.4 inches)
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

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.