Lace Bug

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.

Identified on: 5/19/2026