Lace Bug

Natural Habitat

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

Diet & Feeding

Herbivorous; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on the sap (cell contents) from the underside of leaves.

Behavior Patterns

They exhibit hemimetabolous metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult). They are known for leaving behind dark, varnish-like waste spots on the underside of leaves and causing 'stippling' or yellowing on the top side of leaves.

Risks & Benefits

Generally harmless to humans, though they can occasionally bite if they land on skin, causing minor irritation. To plants, they are pests that can cause aesthetic damage and, in heavy infestations, premature leaf drop.

Identified on: 3/24/2026