Rhododendron Lace Bug vs October Caddis

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rhododendron Lace Bug October Caddis
Scientific Name Stephanitis rhododendri Dicosmoecus gilvipes
Order Hemiptera Trichoptera
Family Tingidae Limnephilidae
Size 3-4 mm 20-28 mm
Habitat Underground Rivers & Streams
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions North America, Europe North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Rhododendron Lace Bug

A tiny lace bug with transparent, reticulate wings that infests rhododendron leaves. Native to North America, it causes silvery stippling on upper leaf surfaces and dark excrement spots beneath. Severe infestations reduce plant vigor.

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Did You Know?

Adults and nymphs always feed on the undersides of leaves, creating a distinctive pattern of dark tar-like fecal spots that serves as a key diagnostic sign of infestation.

October Caddis

A large orange-bodied caddisfly that hatches in autumn on western North American rivers. It is one of the most important late-season food sources for steelhead and salmon.

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Did You Know?

October caddis larvae build massive cases from pebbles and can be so abundant that they visibly alter the streambed substrate.