Lace Bug

Tingidae family

Found throughout North America, most Lace bugs aren’t a problem for vegetable gardeners because they attack woody plants, but a few will go after vegetables. The most notable of these is the Eggplant Lace Bug which feeds on Tomato family crops (eggplant, pepper, potato). These tiny insects (1/8”) suck juices from plants and when present in large numbers they can cause leaves to curl and die. They are not usually a serious problem, but if you want to remove them they can be squashed by simply rubbing your fingers along the leaf.

Image: USDA ARS European Biological Control Laboratory, USDA ARS - European Biological Control Laboratory, Bugwood.org