The other name of Stephanitis is azalea lace bugs. These insects belong to the family Tingidae. Their more common name, “azalea lace bugs,” was determined by the look of their wings because they resemble lace. They feed on the leaves undersides, and this causes a lot of harm to plants. It’s not easy to detect them due to their size because they are about 1/10 inches. The Ericaceae family is the most vulnerable to these insects, hence the name “azalea lace bugs” because azaleas are their most common victims.
Stephanitis
Signs of damage
- Silverish looks of the leaves. When the plant suffers from some kind of disease, a change of color is the biggest indication of it.
- Yellow or white spots. These spots are a result of the weakening of the plant.
- Sticky black substance underneath the leaves. These insects live underside of the leaves, and this sticky black secretion is the main hint that the plant is infested.
- Bugs of nymphs on the plant. Since they are too tiny, it’s hard to spot them, but you can use special lenses for this purpose. Nymphs, in their turn, will look like little spots, so if you see something like that, it is probably them.
How to prevent
Take proper care of your plant because these bugs attack already weak plants. This is why you have to fertilize and water it properly. Inspecting your garden from time to time is also helpful because you can spot these insects in their early stages.
Heal
Most insecticidal soaps are very helpful with lace bugs. Some of them are even organic! As you can guess, neem oil also can be helpful in this case, as well as white oil. These non-toxic pesticides have almost magical qualities to solve this type of problem. You can also use high-pressure water spray to disorient them.
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