Community identification
Lace Bug
Stephanitis spp. / Corythucha spp.
- Order & Family
- Hemiptera, Tingidae
- Size
- 3 mm to 6 mm in length
Natural Habitat
Found primarily on the undersides of leaves of specific host plants like azaleas, oaks, and sycamores.
Diet & Feeding
Plant sap, extracted from leaf tissue using piercing-sucking mouthparts.
Behavior Patterns
They are typically host-specific. Feeding causes 'stippling' or yellow spots on leaves. They often leave dark, varnish-like excrement spots on leaf undersides.
Risks & Benefits
Harmless to humans but can be a significant aesthetic and health pest for ornamental plants and trees; they do not bite people or pets.