Smoke-Tree Sharpshooter vs Thistle Lace Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Smoke-Tree Sharpshooter Thistle Lace Bug
Scientific Name Homalodisca liturata Tingis cardui
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Cicadellidae Tingidae
Size 11-13 mm 3-4 mm
Habitat Indoors Farmland
Diet Sap Feeders Herbivores
Regions North America, Mexico 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.

Thistle Lace Bug

A small, beautifully structured lace bug found on creeping thistle. Wings have an intricate latticed pattern. Causes yellowing and stippling of thistle leaves.

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Did You Know?

The extraordinary wing structure is so delicate and ornate that it inspired Victorian microscopists.