Thistle Lace Bug vs Woolly Apple Aphid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Thistle Lace Bug Woolly Apple Aphid
Scientific Name Tingis cardui Eriosoma lanigerum
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Tingidae Aphididae
Size 3-4 mm 1-2 mm
Habitat Farmland Orchards
Diet Herbivores Gall Makers
Regions Europe Cosmopolitan in temperate regions
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Woolly Apple Aphid

An aphid covered in waxy white filaments that forms colonies on apple tree bark and roots. Heavy infestations cause gall-like swellings on branches and roots.

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Did You Know?

It alternates between elm trees in spring and apple trees in summer across its complex life cycle.