Lace Bug

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 the undersides of leaves.

Behavior Patterns

They are slow-moving and often go unnoticed until plant damage (stippling or yellowing) is visible. They leave behind dark, varnish-like spots of excrement on the leaf surface.

Risks & Benefits

Primarily a landscape pest that causes aesthetic damage to plants. They do not bite humans or pets, but heavy infestations can weaken host plants.

Identified on: 1/8/2026