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Joseph F. Boggs, Ohio State University Extension, Hamilton County/Southwest District; Curtis E. Young, David J. Shetlar, James A. Chatfield, Erik A. Draper, Pamela J. Bennett, Gary Y. Gao, |
Lace Bugs
Lace bugs were once again a significant pest of landscape and nursery plants throughout the state with a number of species producing serious injury to their hosts. Lace bugs that attack deciduous plants overwinter as adults on the bark of their hosts, while those attacking broadleaf evergreens overwinter in the egg stage on the underside of leaves. Once the eggs hatch, feeding damage to last year's foliage is initiated. Thus, the earliest damage reports for the season usually involve lace bugs on broadleaf evergreens.
In late May, damage caused by azalea lace bug (Stephanitis pyrioides) and andromeda lace bug (S. takeyai) was evident on their namesakes in southern Ohio. Damage caused by hawthorn lace bug (Corythucha cydoniae) and oak lace bug (C. arcuata) became evident by mid June in southern Ohio. Hawthorn lace bug is also found on cotoneaster, pyracantha, flowering quince, crabapple, mountain-ash, and shadbush. Oak lace bug populations were particularly heavy in the southwestern and central parts of Ohio.
By early August, a number of other lace bugs had also been observed causing characteristic stippling damage to their namesakes. These included sycamore lace bug (C. ciliata), walnut lace bug (C. juglandis), and rhododendron lace bug (S. rhododendri). The unusual chrysanthemum lace bug (C. marmorata) that lives on both the upper and lower leaf surfaces of its host caused damage to several herbaceous perennials, particularly asters.