Community identification
Lace Bug
Tingidae family
- Order & Family
- Hemiptera: Tingidae
- Size
- 2 to 8 mm (about 1/8 to 1/3 inch)
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.