Lace Bug

Natural Habitat

Found on the undersides of leaves of various trees and shrubs, including oak, sycamore, azalea, and hawthorn.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivorous; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on the sap from leaf cells, causing stippling or bleaching on the upper leaf surface.

Behavior Patterns

Lace bugs are typically slow-moving and often found in colonies. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis with eggs, nymphs, and adults often present on the same leaf. They are known for their intricate, lace-like wing patterns.

Risks & Benefits

While they do not bite humans or pets, they can be significant garden and ornamental pests, causing aesthetic damage and, in severe infestations, premature leaf drop in plants.

Identified on: 1/13/2026