Lace Bug Nymph (or Junk Bug / Debris Carrier)
Scientific Name: Family Tingidae (genera vary, e.g., Corythucha)
Order & Family: Hemiptera: Tingidae
Size: 2mm to 4mm as adults; nymphs are significantly smaller.
Natural Habitat
Found on the undersides of leaves of various trees and shrubs, including sycamore, oak, and azalea.
Diet & Feeding
Piercing-sucking mouthparts used to consume plant sap from the underside of leaves, causing yellow stippling.
Behavior Patterns
Nymphs of many lace bug species excrete a sticky substance to attach debris or their own cast skins to their backs as camouflage from predators. They are slow-moving and often gregarious.
Risks & Benefits
Generally considered a minor aesthetic pest of ornamental plants. They can occasionally bite humans if they land on skin, causing a minor, itchy prickling sensation, but they are not medically significant.
Identified on: 1/8/2026