INSECT ID · SUCKING PEST

Lace bugs

Also called Lace bug, azalea lace bug, lantana lace bug

Small flat bugs with lacy wings that feed on the underside of leaves. They leave leaves speckled and dirty-looking, and the damage sticks around.

When you’ll see it: Spring through fall

Hands holding azalea branches turned over to show dark lace bug droppings scattered across the underside of the leaves, with pale speckled damage on a leaf at left — Photo: Alabama Extension, CC0

How to spot it

White or yellow speckles on top of the leaf, turning brown later
Black, varnish-like spots on the underside of the leaf
Flat bugs 1/8 to 1/4 inch long with clear, lace-like wings
Oval, spiny young bugs with dark areas on the underside
Common on azaleas, lantana, Texas sage, and pyracantha

Why it shows up

Adults get going in spring when new leaves come out. The young grow up in about 30 days, depending on temperature. There can be three to five generations a year. They spend the winter as adults in bark cracks or as eggs in the leaf veins.

How we treat it

We will identify it on a visit and recommend the right fix. Speckled damage on evergreen leaves can stay for over a year unless the leaves are removed. Heavy infestations can stress a shrub badly. If they are building up, we will talk through treatment options with you.

What you can do

Turn leaves over. Black spots underneath point to lace bugs.
Check azaleas and lantana for speckled leaves in spring.
Call early if the speckling spreads.

WANT IT HANDLED?

Let a licensed applicator take it from here.

Tell us about your lawn. We’ll get back to you with a free quote.

Prefer to talk? 817-382-1722

Licensed applicator, Texas Department of Agriculture · License #0984138