Tingidae

Lacebugs

HEMIPTERA > HETEROPTERA > CIMICOMORPHA > Tingidae

The members of this family are collectively known as 'lacebugs' as the pronotum and forewings of most species have a delicate and intricate network of divided areas that resemble lace. They are poorly coloured bugs, generally in varying shades of brown, with a flattened, broadly oval or slender body, and with a head that is often concealed under a bulbous hood-like pronotum. They are mostly tiny, around 2-3mm, the largest no more than 5mm and take a bit of finding as they are usually on the underside of leaves. And, even then they're easily overlooked as their small size, colour and body form, provides good camouflage as they can be mistaken for tiny dried seeds or blemishes in the leaf structure.

Tingids are unique in the fact that they are exclusively phytophagous. They are also characterised to some degree by their low flight activity and sedentary habits, such that it's not uncommon for individuals to complete their whole life cycle on the same plant. Most species are host specific so having knowledge of their specific food plant obviously helps location and identification. With few exceptions, both nymphs and adults are typically found on the underside of leaves where they feed on the sap by piercing the epidermis with their slender stylets. Not surprisingly, some species can be very destructive as leaves can quickly become damaged and discoloured. Many are regarded as economic pests of both wild and cultivated plants.

Although 27 species have been recorded in Britain, only a small handful are regarded as common as the majority appear to have scattered or local distribution; or possibly just under-recorded. In my area, there are only three species that have been officially recorded from Dorset (VC9) in recent years that have more than a couple of confirmed sightings. Interestingly, the most frequently observed species has been Agramma laetum, which is a tiny 2-2.5mm, rather plain looking insect that's usually found on rushes and is the only member of the family that doesn't have the appearance of a lacebug.

The other two are Tingis ampliata and Tingis cardui, which are by far the most widespread representatives of the family. They feed on thistles with the latter, commonly known as the Spear Thistle Lacebug, being the more common of the two locally. It is also the most frequently recorded lacebug from South Hampshire (VC11), albeit with very few confirmed sightings. In fact, over the past few years, very few lacebugs have been recorded from this area, but there are a couple for Stephantis takeyai, which is the only species that I'm currently able to feature.

Stephantis takeyai, commonly known as the Andromeda Lacebug, is an introduced species that was first recorded in Britain close on thirty years ago in 1998. It originates from Japan where it feeds on Pieris japponica and has been accidentally distributed to many countries in Europe and the Americas via the plant trade. In North America Pieris species are called andromedas or fetterbushes. When it first arrived in Britain, it was pretty much restricted to the south-east and home counties but, looking at the distribution map now, it has been observed as far west as Cornwall and north to the Lake District. However, the records that have been submitted are very scattered and, apart from the recent sightings I noted above from South Hampshire, the last one previously from anywhere near where I live was well over ten years ago, which perhaps indicates that they initially spread quickly, but may now be in decline. Nonetheless, I found a few individuals in the garden over the summer and will see if I can find them again next year. They are attractive little bugs around 3-4mm long and, although small, can be photographed without too much difficulty. All of the individuals that I found were on Pieris, but they have also been recorded on Rhododendron and Azaleas.

Hopefully, I'll be able to add one or two more species to this page in due course as, apart from the two previously noted Tingis lacebugs that are associated with thistles, I've identified a couple of others that I should be able to find, namely Dictyonota strichnocera, which is primarily associated with Common Gorse (Ulex), but can occasionally be seen on Broom (Cytisus) where a similar species Dictyonota fuliginosa may also be found. Another possibilty that's worth looking out for is Physatocheila dumetorum, which typically occurs on lichen-covered trees, particularly Hawthorn.