Lace Bug
Scientific Name: Family Tingidae (genera vary by host plant)
Order & Family: Order Hemiptera, Family Tingidae
Size: 2 mm to 8 mm (approximately 1/8 to 1/3 inch)
Natural Habitat
Found on the undersides of leaves of various trees and shrubs, including azaleas, oaks, and sycamores.
Diet & Feeding
Piercing-sucking mouthparts used to drain sap from the undersides of leaves.
Behavior Patterns
They are relatively sedentary, spending most of their life on a single host plant. They leave behind dark, varnish-like spots of excrement on the underside of leaves and cause 'stippling' or yellowing on the top surface.
Risks & Benefits
They are significant garden and landscape pests that can cause foliage to turn brown and drop prematurely. They do not pose a direct health risk to humans, though they can occasionally bite if they land on skin, causing minor irritation.
Identified on: 3/12/2026