Community identification
Lace Bug
Stephanitis spp.
- Order & Family
- Hemiptera; Tingidae
- Size
- 3 mm to 6 mm in length
Natural Habitat
Found on the undersides of leaves of various deciduous trees and shrubs, including azaleas, rhododendrons, and oaks.
Diet & Feeding
Herbivorous; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap from the underside of leaves, causing stippling.
Behavior Patterns
They are slow-moving insects that often live in groups. Their life cycle includes egg, nymph, and adult stages, often leaving dark varnish-like spots of excrement on leaves.
Risks & Benefits
Primarily a landscape pest that causes aesthetic damage (bronzing or yellowing) to ornamental plants; they pose no direct risk to humans.