Strangely beautiful and intricately designed, lace bugs are fascinating little plant pests.
Not to be confused with the similarly named good guys lacewings, these doily-like insects aren’t a welcome sight, especially on ornamental trees and shrubs.
The damage they do to foliage can be confused with that of thrips or spider mites. Luckily, these pets are not nearly as serious or hard to control.
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So how do you identify a lace bug problem, and what are your control options? Keep reading, because this guide includes everything you need to know about these sap-sucking pests.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
What Are Lace Bugs?Belonging to the Tingidae family in the Hemiptera – or true bug – order, there are 140 known species of lace bugs in North America.
Like all true bugs, the adults and nymphs have needle-like mouthparts which they use to suck sugary plant juices.
Lace bugs focus on the underside of deciduous and evergreen tree and shrub leaves, leaving small white or yellow spots on the upper surface.
Their hosts include azalea, basswood, elm, hackberry, hawthorn, lantana, oak, pyracantha, rhododendron, and sycamore.
The damage becomes most noticeable when populations are large in mid to late summer. If feeding is heavy, leaves may drop prematurely.
They also produce small, dark droppings where they feed. These are sometimes called varnish spots.
The damage caused by these pests is mainly cosmetic, and usually doesn’t affect the health of the plant, especially when it is a healthy and mature tree or shrub.
IdentificationOften, the species you’ll find in your garden are from the genera
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