Smoke-Tree Sharpshooter vs Azalea Lace Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Smoke-Tree Sharpshooter Azalea Lace Bug
Scientific Name Homalodisca liturata Stephanitis pyrioides
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Cicadellidae Tingidae
Size 11-13 mm 3-4 mm
Habitat Indoors Underground
Diet Sap Feeders Herbivores
Regions North America, Mexico East Asia, North America, Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Smoke-Tree Sharpshooter

A large leafhopper native to the southwestern US and Mexico closely related to the glassy-winged sharpshooter. It is a vector of xylem-dwelling plant pathogens.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most leafhoppers, it feeds on xylem sap which is so nutrient-poor it must process enormous volumes daily.

Azalea Lace Bug

A tiny lace bug with beautifully ornate, net-veined wings that is a major pest of azaleas and rhododendrons. Native to East Asia, it has become established in North America and Europe. Feeding causes white stippling on leaves.

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Did You Know?

Females insert their eggs into leaf tissue and cover them with a dark varnish-like substance, making them nearly invisible to predators.