
Community identification
Lace Bug
Family Tingidae
- Order & Family
- Hemiptera: Tingidae
- Size
- 2mm to 10mm (approximately 0.1 to 0.4 inches)
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.