Community identification
Lace Bug
Family Tingidae
- Order & Family
- Hemiptera: Tingidae
- Size
- 2mm to 10mm (approximately 1/8 to 1/3 inch)
Natural Habitat
Found on the undersides of leaves of various trees and shrubs including azaleas, oaks, and sycamores.
Diet & Feeding
Herbivorous; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap from foliage.
Behavior Patterns
They are slow-moving and often live in colonies on the underside of leaves. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult).
Risks & Benefits
They are primarily plant pests that can cause yellow spotting (stippling) on leaves. While they do not prey on humans, they are known to occasionally bite people which can cause minor, localized skin irritation or itching.