Community identification
Lace Bug
Tingidae family
- Order & Family
- Order: Hemiptera, Family: Tingidae
- Size
- 2 mm to 10 mm in length
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.