Lace Bug

Natural Habitat

Found on the undersides of leaves of various trees and shrubs including sycamore, oak, azalea, and rhododendron.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivorous; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on the sap from the undersides of host plant leaves.

Behavior Patterns

They are typically slow-moving and spend their entire life cycle on the host plant. They exhibit hemimetabolous metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult) and often leave behind dark varnish-like spots of excrement on leaves.

Risks & Benefits

Generally harmless to humans, though they can occasionally bite if they land on skin, causing minor irritation. They are considered pests in landscaping as heavy infestations cause 'stippling' or yellowing of leaves and premature leaf drop.

Identified on: 1/6/2026