Community identification
Lace Bug
Family Tingidae (various species)
- Order & Family
- Hemiptera: Tingidae
- Size
- 2 to 4 mm (1/8 inch) in length
Natural Habitat
Found on the undersides of leaves of various trees and shrubs, such as sycamores, azaleas, and oaks.
Diet & Feeding
Herbivorous; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on the sap from the plant's foliage.
Behavior Patterns
They are slow-moving and often live in groups on the underside of leaves. They deposit black, varnish-like spots of excrement as they feed and lay eggs mostly along the veins of leaves.
Risks & Benefits
They are agricultural and garden pests that cause stippling (yellow spots) on leaves, which can lead to premature leaf drop; they generally pose no direct risk to humans.