INSECTS

HEMIPTERA / LACEBUGS

Lace bugs feed on various trees and shrubs. They are usually host-specific and can cause great damage to plants. Most feed on the undersides of leaves by piercing the epidermis and sucking the sap. They belong to the family Tingidae.

Creeping Thistle Lacebug  Tingis ampliata is a common Lacebug that lives on Creeping Thistle. It is covered in white powdery waxy deposits and has four rows of meshes at the edge of the pronotum and forewings. The fourth antennal segment is wider than 3rd and there are three small projections located between the antennae. This species overwinters as an adult and is found on the foodplant in the spring and early summer. Length 3-4mm.