Lace Bug

Natural Habitat

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

Diet & Feeding

Herbivorous; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap from foliage.

Behavior Patterns

They are slow-moving insects that often live in colonies on the underside of leaves and undergo incomplete metamorphosis. They are known for the intricate, lace-like pattern on their wings and thorax.

Risks & Benefits

They are considered aesthetic pests in gardens and landscapes as their feeding causes stippling or yellowing of leaves; they generally do not bite humans or pose significant risks to the ecosystem.

Identified on: 1/13/2026