Community identification
Lace Bug
Family Tingidae
- Order & Family
- Order Hemiptera, Family Tingidae
- Size
- 2 to 8 mm (approximately 1/8 to 1/3 inch) in length.
Natural Habitat
Found on the undersides of leaves of various trees and shrubs, including azaleas, oaks, and sycamores.
Diet & Feeding
Herbivorous piercer-suckers; they feed on plant sap by piercing the epidermis of leaves.
Behavior Patterns
They often live in colonies on the undersides of leaves. Their presence is usually marked by yellow or white stippling on the upper leaf surface and dark, varnish-like spots of excrement on the underside.
Risks & Benefits
While they do not pose a direct health risk to humans, they can be significant aesthetic pests in gardens and landscapes, causing leaf discoloration and premature leaf drop in heavy infestations.