
Community identification
Lace Bug
Stephanitis spp.
- Order & Family
- Hemiptera: Tingidae
- Size
- 2 to 8 mm in length
Natural Habitat
Typically found on the undersides of leaves of trees and shrubs, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and oaks.
Diet & Feeding
Plant sap; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to drain fluids from the cells of host leaves.
Behavior Patterns
They are often found in large groups on the underside of leaves. Their feeding creates a characteristic 'stippling' or yellowing on the top side of the leaf, and they often leave behind dark, varnish-like spots of excrement.
Risks & Benefits
They are leaf-feeding pests that can cause aesthetic damage to ornamental plants; they do not pose a direct threat to humans, but heavy infestations can weaken host plants.