Chrysanthemum lace bugs are small North American insects with netted wings, found on goldenrods and garden chrysanthemums. Adults are about 1/8 in (3 mm) long, and their feeding can leave leaves pale and speckled when many bugs gather.
Appearance
Appearance
The adult is about 1/8 in (3 mm) long. Its raised hood and wings are divided into tiny clear cells, with variable smoky-brown bands and spots. A hand lens or close-up photo reveals the lace pattern.
Oak lace bugs feed on oak leaves and have a dark, poorly defined bar near the wing tips. Chrysanthemum lace bugs are more likely on goldenrods or other sunflower-family plants and have several irregular smoky bands.
Why they get mixed up · Both are tiny, hooded lace bugs with clear, netted wings.
Sycamore lace bugs are milky white, slightly larger, and strongly tied to sycamore leaves. Chrysanthemum lace bugs are browner and usually occur on herbaceous sunflower-family hosts.
Why they get mixed up · Their pale, transparent wings give them nearly the same outline.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
goldenrod patches
meadows and roadsides
gardens
Range
It is native to the United States and Canada, with records extending into Mexico and Jamaica.
Preferred conditions
Adults and stay on the surfaces of leaves, especially on plants in the sunflower family.
Behavior
Diet
Adults and nymphs pierce leaves and drink plant sap. Goldenrods, asters, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, and related plants are common hosts.
Activity
Nymphs often feed in clusters. Their feeding makes pale on the upper leaf surface, while dark eggs, shed skins, and droppings may collect below.
Overwintering
Adults shelter through winter in dry leaves, grass clumps, and other protected debris.
Life cycle
Reproduction
Females insert eggs into leaves, often along a larger vein, and cover them with a dark secretion. The nymphs pass through five stages before becoming adults.