Oak lace bug

Corythucha arcuata (Say) (Hemiptera: Tingidae)

Orientation to pest

Oak lace bug, Corythucha arcuata (Say), is a minor pest of various oaks in its native range in North America. The insect may overwinter as either adults or eggs. Adults have lacey wings held flat over the body with an ornate pronotum. Nymphs are mostly black with spines. Feeding begins in early spring at leaf expansion. Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves. Nymphs and adults occur in colonies on foliage where they feed by sucking sap from plant tissues. Damage is similar to the yellow stippling produced by spider mite feeding, but without webbing. Black fecal spots are also present on foliage infested by lace bugs. Dense populations can cause premature leaf drop. There are multiple generations per year.

Hosts commonly attacked

The main hosts of this species are white (Quercus alba L.), bur (Quercus macrocarpa Michx..), and chestnut oaks(Quercus prinus L.).

Distribution

This bug occurs from Alabama and the Carolinas north to southern Canada.

Images of oak lace bug

Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org 768x512 / 1536x1024	Jim Baker, North Carolina State University, Bugwood.org 768x512 / 1536x1024	Jim Baker, North Carolina State University, Bugwood.org 768x512 / 1536x1024
Figure 1. Adult of oak lacebug, Corythucha arcuata	Figure 2. Nymphs of oak lace bug on underside of oak leaf	Figure 3. Oak foliage showing damage (yellow stippling) on the upper leaf surface from feeding of oak lace bug

Important biological control agents related to this pest species

Little is known of the specific natural enemies of the oak lace bug. One generalist predator associated with the species is the mirid Deraeocoris nebulosus (Uhler).

Web links for information on oak lace bug

• Fact Sheet | USDA Forest Service, FHP Southern Region
  From "Oak Pests - A Guide to Major Insects, Diseases, Air Pollution, and Chemical Injury"

Articles

• Horn, K. F.; Wright, C. G.; Farrier, M. H. 1979. The lace bugs (Hemiptera: Tingidae) of North Carolina and their hosts. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin No. 257. 22 pp.
• Wheeler, A. G., Jr., B. R. Stinner, and T. J. Henry. 1975. Biology and nymphal stages of Deraeocoris nebulosus (Hemiptera: Miridae), a predator of arthropod pests on ornamentals. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 68: 1063-1068.