
Community identification
Lace Bug
Family Tingidae
- Order & Family
- Order Hemiptera, Family Tingidae
- Size
- 2mm to 10mm (0.08 to 0.4 inches)
Natural Habitat
Typically found on the undersides of leaves of various trees and shrubs, including oak, sycamore, azalea, and hawthorn.
Diet & Feeding
Herbivorous. They use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap from the underside of leaves, often causing stippling (yellow spots).
Behavior Patterns
They are slow-moving and often spend their entire life cycle on a single host plant. They lay eggs along the leaf veins and produce sticky dark spots of excrement on the foliage.
Risks & Benefits
Generally harmless to humans though they may occasionally deliver a minor, non-toxic bite if they land on skin. Primarily considered a garden pest that can cause aesthetic damage to ornamental plants and weaken trees during heavy infestations.