Stephanitis typicus Distant

Taxonomic position

Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae

Common names

Coconut lace wing bug, banana lace bug

Habitat / Crop(s) damaged

Coconut, oil palm, banana, turmeric, cardamom, and Colacasia.

The bugs suck the sap and cause chlorotic spots on leaves which turn necrotic later. Damage symptoms in coconut include yellowish patches on either side of the midrib of the leaflets which later turn into brown necrotic patches; presence of colonies of lace like white adult bugs having transparent, shiny reticulated wings and black body and black spiny nymphs on the undersurface of leaves, especially in the middle region of the affected leaflets.

Pest status

Minor. The bugs are suspected vectors of virus and mycoplasma diseases on oil palm and coconut (coconut root wilt).

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