Community identification
Lace Bug
Stephanitis spp. or Corythucha spp.
- Order & Family
- Hemiptera, Tingidae
- Size
- 2 mm to 8 mm (approximately 0.1 to 0.3 inches)
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.