Lace Bug

Found on the undersides of leaves of various deciduous and evergreen plants, commonly azaleas, rhododendrons, and oaks.

Plant juices; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on the underside of leaves, causing 'stippling' or chlorosis.

They are relatively inactive and live in groups. Most species overwinter as eggs in leaf tissue or under bark. They produce distinctive sticky black droplets of excrement on foliage.

Generally harmless to humans but can be a significant aesthetic pest in gardens. Severe infestations may weaken the host plant, though they rarely kill it. They provide no significant benefits to the ecosystem in a human-managed landscape.