Lace Bug

Found on the undersides of leaves of various trees and shrubs, including azaleas, rhododendrons, and oaks.

Herbivorous; uses piercing-sucking mouthparts to drain chlorophyll and juices from plant leaf cells.

Adults are slow-moving and often cluster together. They lay eggs along leaf veins and secrete a sticky, varnish-like waste that leaves dark spots on foliage.

Pests that cause aesthetic damage and yellowing (stippling) to garden plants; they pose no physical risk to humans but can be locally detrimental to landscape ecosystems.