Europe-invasive
Guides
Corythucha ciliata
sycamore lace bug, plane lace bug, Eastern Sycamore Lace Bug
Corythucha ciliata, the sycamore lace bug, is a small sap-sucking insect native to North America that has become a globally invasive pest of plane trees (Platanus spp.). Adults are milky white, 3.2–3.7 mm long, with distinctive lacy, reticulate wings. The species was first detected in Europe in 1964 in Italy and has since spread to over three dozen countries across Europe, Asia, and Oceania. It feeds exclusively on the undersides of leaves, causing chlorotic stippling, premature leaf drop, and tree weakening. In Europe, it has been reported to bite humans and cause dermatological reactions.