Azalea, andromeda, sycamore, and oak are the most common ornamental plants which can develop lacebug problems. Do not confuse the name lacebugs with lacewings, which are beneficial insects. Leafhoppers are cousins of true bugs, but the damage they cause to plants is very similar to lacebug injury. There are hundreds of species of leafhoppers, all similar in size and shape. Young leafhoppers known as nymphs are similar to adults, except that their wings are not developed.
Cast skins left behind each time the nymphs molt are a clue to the presence of leafhoppers.
Their feeding causes distorted leaves, coarse stippling, or yellow leaf tips, depending on the host plant and the species of leafhopper.