Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Lace bugs attack Georgia

Wings are lacy with two grayish-brown cross-bands connected in the middle. Nymphs are mostly black and spiny. The flask-shaped eggs are partially embedded in leaf tissue and are often covered with a black tar-like secretion. There are four generations a year. Lace bug adults and nymphs live and feed on the underside of leaves.

Look for the first signs of damage on plants in full sun or in protected areas from March through the summer. Look for white stippling on older leaves. Turn stippled leaves over to find lace bugs and black fecal spots. Examine lace bug eggs with a hand lens for signs of parasitism (a round hole in the top of the egg) and look for predators.