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Suborder Heteroptera - True Bugs
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Formerly treated as a separate order called Hemiptera or Heteroptera; now considered a part of the re-defined order Hemiptera Numbers 7 infraorders, with ca. 3850 spp. in ~680 genera of 45 families north of Mexico (1) and >42,000 spp. in almost 6,000 genera of ~90 families worldwide (2); there are >420 spp. of aquatic and semi-aquatic bugs in our area and close to 6,000 spp. worldwide (3)
Genera not yet in the Guide are listed in (4)
Overview of Nearctic families [* –taxa not yet in the guide; classification and stats from(2)]:
Suborder Heteroptera
EUHETEROPTERA terrestrial
Infraorder Enicocephalomorpha: ~430 spp. in 65 genera worldwide; families *Aenictopecheidae, Enicocephalidae
Infraorder Dipsocoromorpha: ~340 spp. in ~60 genera worldwide; families Ceratocombidae, *Dipsocoridae, Schizopteridae + 2 tiny Oriental/African families
NEOHETEROPTERA
Infraorder Gerromorpha: semiaquatic; >2,100 spp. in ~160 genera worldwide; 4 superfamilies:
Gerroidea: families Gerridae, Veliidae + one small Indo-Pacific family
Hebroidea: families Hebridae, Macroveliidae + one family with just 2 spp. in so. Africa
PANHETEROPTERA
Infraorder Nepomorpha: aquatic; >2,300 spp. in 140 genera worldwide; 5 superfamilies:
Naucoroidea: families Naucoridae + 2 minor tropical families (one restricted to the Old World)
Notonectoidea: families Notonectidae, Pleidae + one exotic family
Infraorder Leptopodomorpha: riparian/intertidal (with few exceptions); ~340 spp. in ~60 genera worldwide; 2 superfamilies:
Leptopodoidea: families Leptopodidae and a tiny Old World family
Saldoidea: families Saldidae and one monotypic Palaearctic family
Infraorder Cimicomorpha: terrestrial; ~20,600 spp. in >2,700 genera worldwide; 7 superfamilies (one monotypic superfamily is restricted to se. Mediterranean):
Naboidea: families Nabidae and one monotypic African family
Reduvioidea: families Reduviidae and one small tropical family
*Velocipedoidea: families *Curaliidae (a single species, se. US) + one small Oriental family
Infraorder Pentatomomorpha: terrestrial, mostly herbivorous; worldwide, >16,200 spp. in >2,600 genera of 42 families; 6 superfamilies (one superfamily of 2 tiny families is restricted to Australia and so. South America):
Aradoidea: families Aradidae + a small termitophilous family, mostly Neotropical
Coreoidea: families Alydidae, Coreidae, Rhopalidae + 2 small Old World families
Lygaeoidea: families Artheneidae, Berytidae, Blissidae, Cymidae, Geocoridae, Heterogastridae, Lygaeidae, Ninidae, Oxycarenidae, Pachygronthidae, Piesmatidae, Rhyparochromidae + 4 minor exotic families, mostly palaeotropical
Identification Mouthparts piercing/sucking
Typically two pairs of wings; forewings ( hemelytra) are partly leathery, partly membranous (may be variously reduced)
Antennae 4- or 5-segmented
Most have thoracic scent glands used for defense
General identification manuals: (5)(6) • keys to aquatic bugs in (7)(8)(9)(10) • an easy online key to families in (11) • many good keys in (12)Habitat infraorders Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha, and Leptopodomorpha (the latter with few exceptions) are entirely composed of aquatic, semiaquatic, or shore bugs; the remaining groups are entirely terrestrial and occupy a wide variety of habitats Food most species feed on plant juices, many are predators, some are mixed feeders, a few are parasites (blood-sucking) Remarks Some are considered agricultural or household pests; info on economically important spp. in (13)See Also
Cicadas, hoppers, and allies ( Auchenorryncha)
How to tell a bug from a beetle: If antenna has 4‒5 segments, then it's a bug; beetles (with very few exceptions) have at least 8, usually 11 antennomeres. Beetles have pinching jaws (mandibles); bugs, piercing, sucking mouthparts usually folded back against the underside. Print References Wilson, C. A. 1958. Aquatic and semiaquatic Hemiptera of Mississippi. Tulane Studies in Zoology 6(3): 113-170. ( Biodiversity Heritage Library) Internet References
Die Wanzen Europas by A. Grau & D. Koehler ―all holarctic families at a glance
European Bugs ―large photo gallery with reliable IDs
Works Cited | 2. | Biodiversity of the Heteroptera
Henry T.J. 2009. In: Foottit R.G., Adler P.H., eds. Insect biodiversity: Science and society. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell: 223−263. | |
| 3. | Global diversity of true bugs (Heteroptera; Insecta) in freshwater
Polhemus J.T., Polhemus D.A. 2008. Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment. Developments in Hydrobiology 198: 379-391. | |
| 5. | Heteroptera of Eastern North America
W.S. Blatchley. 1926. The Nature Publishing Company. | |
| 6. | How to Know the True Bugs
Slater, James A., and Baranowski, Richard M. 1978. Wm. C. Brown Company. | |
| 10. | The aquatic and semi-aquatic Hemiptera of Virginia
Bobb M.L. 1974. Insects of Virginia 7, iv+195 pp. | |
| 12. | A synopsis of the Hemiptera-Heteroptera of America north of Mexico
Torre-Bueno J.R. de la. 1939. Ent. amer. 19: 141‒304 & 21: 41‒122. | |
| 13. | Heteroptera of economic importance
Schaefer C.W., Panizzi A.R. (eds). 2000. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 828 pp. | |
| 17. | True Bugs (Heteroptera) of the Neotropics
Panizzi A.R., Grazia J., eds. 2015. Springer. xxii+901 pp. | |
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 30 January, 2007 - 7:31am Additional contributions by cotinis, Hannah Nendick-Mason, Lynette Elliott, Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, Ted Kropiewnicki, Boris Bueche, v belov, Harsi S. Parker, Arturo SantosLast updated 10 November, 2024 - 11:49pm |
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