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Common names: bugs or "true bugs"
Metamorphosis: paurometabolous
Mouthparts: piercing-sucking
Key Characteristics: Hemiptera have a beak arising from front of the head, long antennae, and two pairs of wings (in most adults). Hemiptera usually have four wings held flat over the body. The front pair are thickened and leathery at the base with membranous tips or ends and called hemelytra.
Biology: They are found on plants and animals, or in water. Some bugs cause considerable plant damage by their feeding. Many are beneficial because they prey on other insects.
Name derivation: Hemiptera = Latin for "half" (hemi); "wings" (ptera)
An Overview of Hemiptera
Families
This is a selected list of families that are important or commonly
encountered.
Class - Insecta
Order - Hemiptera
Families
Pentatomidae - stink bugs
Scutellaridae - shield-backed bugs
Cydnidae - burrower bugs
Coreidae - leaf-footed bugs
Lygaeidae - seed bugs
Tingidae - lace bugs
Phymatidae - ambush bugs
Reduviidae - assassin bugs
Cimicidae - bed bugs
Miridae - plant bugs
Gerridae - water striders
Corixidae - water boatmen
Notonectidae - backswimmers
Naucoridae - creeping water bugs
Belastomatidae - giant water bugs
Nepidae - waterscorpions
Gelastocoridae - toad bugs
A bit more about families....
Pentatomidae -
stink bugs
Stink bugs have a more or less five sided shape which is where the "penta"
part of the name comes from. They are broad and are sometimes confused
with beetles. The sucking mouth parts and the front wings that overlap
should be enough to separate them from beetles. Stink bugs can produce a
disagreeable odor from pits on the underside near the base of the front
legs. The distinct odor is emitted when they are disturbed as a defense
against predators.
Most stink bugs feed bug sucking plant sap. However, a few are predators that feed on other insects. Several stink bugs are pests on vegetables and field crops.
Scutellaridae -
shield-backed bugs
Shield-backed bugs look much like stink bugs in general shape. They have
the back covered with an extension of the pronotum which covers most of
the wing surface. The most commonly encountered ones enter homes in the
winter time to seek shelter. They can become active on warm days and move
around inside the home.
Cydnidae -
burrower bugs
Burrower bugs are dark brown to black with very spiny legs. As the name
suggests they burrow into the soil and spend much of their lives
underground. They suck on plant roots and are pests in peanuts and other
crops. They also come to lights at night.
Coreidae -
leaf-footed bugs
Most leaf-footed bugs have their high legs broadened with spiny edges. The
extensions on the hind legs superficially resemble leaves which gives them
the name. A few have simple hind legs like the squash bug. Most members of
this family are good sized insects over ½ inch in length. There are
several other pest species in this family.
Lygaeidae -
seed bugs
Lygaeidae is a rather large family with plenty of variation in size and
shape. As the name implies many of them feed on seeds of various plants.
The milkweed bugs are in this family and can actually live on milkweed
seeds in the laboratory.
Tingidae -
lace bugs
Lace bugs are small usually under a quarter of an inch in length. The
bodies and wings have elaborate patterns and sculpturing which gives them
the name lace bugs. Several members of this family are plant pests. Some
are very common such as the sycamore lace bug which can be found on the
underside of almost any sycamore leaf.
Phymatidae -
ambush bugs
Ambush bugs are small about 3/8 inch long. They often sit on flowers where
they wait for prey to come by. Ambush bugs are often yellowish with dark
markings and tend to blend in with the flowers. Their front legs are
modified for grasping much like a preying mantid’s front legs.
Reduviidae -
assassin bugs
Many assassin bugs are quite large with some about an inch in length. They
have long legs, long antennae and a prominent beak. They are predators
that stick the beak in insects or other arthropods and then suck the body
fluids which they use as food. Assassin bugs can pierce human skin if they
are trapped which produces a sharp immediate pain. The reaction typically
goes away in a few hours.
Cimicidae -
bed bugs
Bed bugs are blood sucking pests of mammals and birds. Bed bugs are
wingless even as adults but they can run rapidly. They typically hide
during the day and move around at night to take a blood meal. The common
bed bug, Cimex lectularis L., is a pest of humans. Common bed bugs
were a pest in previous times when travelers shared living quarters more
closely. It is seldom encountered in the U.S. but sometimes becomes a pest
especially if it is introduced accidentally.
Miridae -
plant bugs
The plant bug family Miridae represents hundreds of species of small bugs.
They tend to be active primarily in the spring when they feed on plants.
Some are cryptically colored and blend well with the plants while others
are gaudy colored with yellow or red. Few of these seem to do much damage
to the plants. However, some like the cotton fleahopper,
Pseudatomoscelis seriatus, are considered pests in agriculture.
Gerridae -
water striders
Water striders are the long-legged insects with thin bodies that skate
quickly on the surface of the water, especially on ponds and lakes. They
ride on the surface film of the water and use their wings to propel
themselves. They feed on insects that fall on the water surface. They
sometimes congregate in large numbers.
Corixidae -
water boatmen
Water boatmen swim below the water surface and have a characteristic oval
shape and a mottled pattern on their backs. They feed on algae with their
sucking beaks. The numbers can build up in ponds and swimming pools so
thick that they appear as small cloudy areas under water. They do not seem
to bite humans.
Notonectidae -
backswimmers
Backswimmers swim upside down under water. They bodies have the leg side
up and dark colored for countershading while the wing side is downward and
light in color. The hind legs are long and hairy and used like oars that
are often held out at the sides.
Naucoridae -
creeping water
bugs
Water crawling bugs are flattened, wide and oval. They are most often
found in the bottom of streams especially areas with good oxygen content.
Water crawling bugs are predators that pierce their prey and feed on the
body fluids. They can also pierce skin which is a habit that has earned
them the alternative common name of "toe biters". Wading barefoot in their
habitat can result in a sharp bite that can throb for a few hours.
Belastomatidae -
giant water
bugs
Giant water bugs are probably the largest of our Hemiptera at least by
weight. They have broad sturdy bodies with legs suited to swimming. They
have a short stout beak which is used to pierce their prey. They fly well
and are sometimes called "electric light bugs" when they are found under
lights. They breath in the water with a siphon tube out the rear and can
be found hanging head down at the surface of the water. They are very
interesting if keep as a pet in an aquarium.
Nepidae -
water scorpions
Water scorpions are basically predators like giant water bugs. However,
they are much more elongate and the raptorial front legs are more
pronounced. Some of them have the legs long and spindly compared to those
of a giant water bug.
Gelastocoridae -
toad bugs
Toad bugs are small usually just over 1/4 inch long. They are warty,
brown, with prominent eyes and a habit of hopping so they really do
resemble small toads at first glance. Look for them on the shoreline of
lakes and ponds. They are predators along the shore where many insects
that fall in the water are blown on the beach or rocks.
Recoginizing Hemiptera Groups:
* The general size, shape, color and habitat are sometimes useful in
separating the groups.
* Characters of the antennae, beak, legs, and wings are usually needed to separate the families.
* The veins in the wings are sometimes used to separate families of Hemiptera.