About 160 species have been described in North America. Lace bugs are exclusively plant feeders, and while more species are found on herbaceous plants, the most common species occur on the foliage of trees and shrubs. Twenty-eight lace bug species have been recorded in Pennsylvania, but only a few are key pests of ornamental plants. The wings are held flat over the insect when at rest, with the wing tips and outer margins extending beyond the perimeter of the body. In most of the economically important species, the adults are cream colored with patches of black or brown.
Nymphs are spiny and much darker than the adults.
Nymphs can be found clustered among their dark feces and cast nymphal skins on lower leaf surfaces. When fully grown nymphs are about one-half the size of the adults. The black eggs are elongate and placed on end in small groups on the underside of leaves. The overwintering adults become active as the leaves unfurl and deposit their eggs on the lower leaf surface. One to three generations are produced each year in Pennsylvania depending upon the species of lace bug.