Family Tingidae - Lace Bugs

Tingidae LaPorte 1832

=Tingitidae

~155 spp. in 23 genera (all in the nominate subfamily, by far the largest) in our area(1), >2,100 spp. in ~260 genera of 3 subfamilies worldwide(2); at least two of the genera recorded in NA represent adventive European spp. (images: a, b)

The family includes 2 subfamilies, of which only Tinginae is represented in NA; all the native NA spp. are members of the tribe Tingini, but a few introduced spp. of the Eurasian tribe Ypsotingini are also present (the third tribe is small, tropical, and mostly restricted to so. hemisphere)(3)

3-5 mm (NA)(1), 2-8+ mm worldwide(2)

Adults have a sculptured lacelike pattern of the dorsum; nymphs are usually spiny and black. Other important characters (4):

Keys to FL spp. in(5)

Links to images of the missing genera (binomina indicate genera represented in our area by a single species; adventive taxa in brackets): Acanthocheila, Alveotingis, Corythaica, Dichocysta pictipes, Galeatus spinifrons, Phymacysta tumida, Pseudacysta perseae, [Kalama tricornis]

worldwide and throughout NA(1)

Feed mainly on leaves of trees and shrubs, causing yellow spotting and sometimes browning and death of the leaves(6)

Eggs usually laid on the underside of leaves near veins(1)

(7)(8)(9)*

*Online version here