Lace Bug

Natural Habitat

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

Diet & Feeding

Obligate herbivores that feed on plant sap by piercing the leaf epidermis with their mouthparts.

Behavior Patterns

They are host-specific insects that often live in colonies on the underside of leaves; they go through incomplete metamorphosis with five nymphal stages.

Risks & Benefits

Primarily a plant pest that can cause leaf stippling and chlorosis; they are generally harmless to humans but can occasionally bite if they land on skin although they do not feed on humans.

Identified on: 1/6/2026