Lace Bug

Natural Habitat

Found on the undersides of leaves of various trees and shrubs, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, sycamores, and oaks.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivorous; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of plant leaves, causing stippling or bleaching.

Behavior Patterns

They are slow-moving insects that often live in groups on the underside of leaves. They deposit dark, varnish-like waste spots (frass) as they feed.

Risks & Benefits

Primarily an aesthetic pest to ornamental plants and trees; they do not bite humans or pets but can cause significant leaf damage and plant stress in large numbers.

Identified on: 5/23/2026