Bug Identifier
Lace Bug
Community identification

Lace Bug

Family Tingidae

Order & Family
Order Hemiptera, Family Tingidae
Size
2 mm to 10 mm (0.08 to 0.4 inches) in length
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Found worldwide on the undersides of leaves of various trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants

Diet & Feeding

Herbivorous; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap from the undersides of leaves

Behavior Patterns

They exhibit incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult). They are often found in groups and can cause stippling or bleaching of foliage due to feeding

Risks & Benefits

Generally harmless to humans but can be significant aesthetic pests for ornamental plants; they provide a food source for various predatory insects