Lace Bug

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

Herbivorous; they pierce leaf tissue with their straw-like mouthparts to suck out plant fluids (chlorophyll and sap).

They are often seen in clusters on the bottom of leaves, leaving behind dark spots of excrement. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult).

They are primarily garden pests that cause stippling and yellowing of foliage. While harmless to humans, they can occasionally land on people and provide a minor, prickly bite if they mistake skin for a leaf, but they have no venom.