A lace bug, last observed in 1917, rediscovered at S’pore Botanic Gardens

SINGAPORE – A tiny species of lace bug has been rediscovered at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, after last being seen here in 1917.

It was uncovered in September 2024 by nature enthusiasts Yap Ee Hean and Rene Ong. They chanced upon the miniscule Stephanitis (Menodora) kardia bugs – which are usually no larger than 3mm in length – under the leaves of the native Tampines tree.

There are more than 2,500 species of lace bugs, which are named after their flat, lace-like forewings.

The duo’s discovery of about a dozen adults and nymphs was documented on Jan 25 in Nature in Singapore, a scientific journal by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) that records biodiversity sightings in the Republic.

According to Mr Yap, a lab worker, these findings are “quite significant”, as the last known sample of the leaf-eating bug was collected in 1917 by American entomologist and botanist Charles Fuller Baker.

Based on Baker’s specimens, the species was described in the 1960 publication, Lace-bug Genera Of The World (Hemiptera: Tingidae), by Carl J. Drake and Florence A. Ruhoff.

Lace bugs belong to the family Tingidae, which sit within the group of insects known as Hemiptera that also includes species like cicadas and aphids.

No live specimens of the species have been observed since.

Mr Yap, who has been documenting species of the Hemiptera order in Singapore, told The Straits Times: “As there weren’t any other records other than the original specimens, it is likely that the species has been overlooked until our recent discovery.

“I was excited, as I had previously started compiling a list of the local lace bug fauna, and this species was one that I had ostensibly not come across before.”

With NParks’ permission, specimens of the bugs were collected for LKCNHM’s zoological reference collection.

Upon examining the insects under a stereo microscope, the two nature enthusiasts and the museum’s Hemiptera expert, Dr Hwang Wei Song, were able to pin down the species by comparing the specimens against existing scientific records.

Mr Yap said many lace bugs have high host plant specificity, which means a particular species is most often found only on a specific type of tree or plant. These insects are often gregarious, he added. This means that if you find one on a host plant, many others are bound to be found nearby.

He added that it is crucial to safeguard these elusive bugs by conserving their natural habitat, especially specific host plants.

“The planting of native plants, especially the more threatened ones, can be a good strategy,” he said, adding that local gardeners can also avoid overusing pesticides to help conserve lace bugs and other tiny invertebrates.

Dr Eunice Tan, a researcher from the National University of Singapore who studies arthropods of South-east Asia, said: “This is a very encouraging sighting, as it suggests that the habitats and host plants are still available to the species today.”

“We are living in a very biodiverse tropical environment,” she added, calling for more widespread efforts to study insects and arthropods here, in order to further conservation efforts.

“Together with protecting habitats, we need to better understand their ecology – what they feed on, what their predators are, what environment is necessary for them to thrive.”