**Lace Bugs** (family Tingidae) are small, plant-feeding true bugs named for the intricate, lace-like pattern of veins and membranes on their wings and pronotum (the plate behind the head). They are highly host-specific, attacking specific deciduous trees and shrubs (e.g., Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Sycamores, Oaks). They feed by piercing the plant tissue on the **undersides of leaves** and sucking out the chlorophyll. While they rarely kill a tree, heavy infestations cause severe aesthetic damage, making the foliage appear bleached, stippled, or sickly-gray.
Taxonomy and Classification
Lace Bugs belong to the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They undergo incomplete metamorphosis. They are highly sedentary and tend to cluster together on the leaf surface. The key feature of their family (Tingidae) is the reticulated (net-like) structure of their wings and thoracic extensions, which serves as a form of camouflage.
Physical Description
Adult Lace Bugs are minute, 1/8 to 1/4 inch long.
- **Appearance (Key ID):** Flat, oval body, with delicate, translucent, lace-patterned wings held flat over the body.
- **Location:** Almost exclusively found on the **underside of the leaves**.
- **Damage Sign (Key ID):**
- **Stippling:** Fine, light-colored or yellow-white dots (**stippling**) appear on the upper side of the leaf (where the chlorophyll has been drained).
- **Fecal Spots:** Small, dark, shiny spots of tar-like excrement (frass) are visible on the underside of the leaf, often mixed with shed nymphal skins.
Distribution and Habitat
Lace Bugs are found globally, with many native species specialized to native trees. Their habitat is the foliage of their host plant, particularly favoring sunny, high-stress locations. They are common ornamental pests in urban landscapes.
Behavior and Conflict
The conflict is primarily aesthetic damage to high-value ornamental plants.
- **Chlorophyll Loss:** The feeding removes chlorophyll, giving the leaves a sickly, bleached, or grayish appearance that can affect the entire plant in severe cases.
- **Premature Drop:** Heavily infested leaves may drop prematurely, stressing the host plant.
- **Nuisance:** They can occasionally fall off infested trees onto people, causing minor irritation but no harm.
Management and Prevention
Control is integrated pest management (IPM), focusing on systemic treatments and direct sprays.
- Maintain plant vigor with proper watering and mulching, as stressed plants are more susceptible.
- When planting, select resistant or tolerant varieties of host plants.
- **Topical Sprays:** Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, ensuring complete coverage of the **undersides** of the leaves where the insects reside. Repeated applications may be necessary.
- **Systemic Treatment:** For large trees or persistent problems, a systemic insecticide (applied as a soil drench or trunk injection) can be used to control the insects from within the plant.
Conservation and Research
Lace Bugs are managed as high-priority ornamental pests. Research focuses on identifying natural enemies (predatory mites, lacewings) and developing resistant plant cultivars to reduce reliance on chemical control in managed landscapes.