heteroptera

• Overview
• Taxonomy
• Families
• Sources

Overview

Taxonomy

Families

Acanthosomatidae

The Acanthosomatidae is a small family in the order Hemiptera commonly known as shield bugs. They are distinguished from related families in that they have only two tarsal segments. There are over 30 genera in three subfamilies, distributed worldwide. [more]

Alydidae

Alydidae, commonly known as broad headed bugs, is a family of true bugs very similar to Coreidae. The most notable characteristic of the family is that the head is broad, often similar in length and width to the pronotum. They frequently have sent glands that produce a stink considered to be worse than that of true stink bugs (Pentatomidae). The stink is said to smell similar to a bad case of halitosis. [more]

Anthocoridae

The Anthocoridae are a family of bugs, commonly called minute pirate bugs or flower bugs. [more]

Aphelocheiridae

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Aphylidae

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Aradidae

Aradidae bear the appropriate common name, flat bugs, in reference to their (usually) extremely flattened body. With few exceptions, the often cryptic insects are of no economic importance. Common temperate genera include Aradus, Mezira, Neuroctenus, and Aneurus. [more]

Belostomatidae

Belostomatidae is a family of insects in the Order Hemiptera, known as giant water bugs or colloquially as toe-biters. They are the largest insects in the order Hemiptera, and occur worldwide, with most of the species in North America, South America and East Asia. They are typically encountered in freshwater streams and ponds. Most species are relatively large (2 cm or more) with some of the largest, such as Lethocerus, exceeding 12 cm, and nearly reaching the dimensions (length and mass) of some of the larger beetles in the world. Giant water bugs are a popular food in Thailand. [more]

Berytidae

Berytidae is a family of bugs, commonly called stilt bugs. [more]

Canopidae

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Ceratocombidae

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Cimicidae

A bedbug (or bed bug) is a small nocturnal insect of the family Cimicidae that lives by hematophagy, or by feeding on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts. [more]

Colobathristidae

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Coreidae

Coreidae is a large family of insects of the order Hemiptera (the "true bugs"), including some of the largest members (> 4 cm) of the entire order. There are over 1800 species in some 250 genera. They generally resemble shield bugs and include species known as leaf footed bugs and squash bugs. The hind legs are often modified, sometimes in elaborate ways; it appears that males of at least some species use these hind legs in combat over territories. All members of the family are exclusively phytophagous. [more]

Corixidae

Corixidae is a family of aquatic insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water boatmen. They inhabit ponds and slow moving streams, where they swim near the bottom. There are about 500 known species worldwide, in 33 genera. [more]

Cydnidae

Cydnidae, the negro bugs, burrowing bugs or burrower bugs  are a family of shield bugs. [more]

Dinidoridae

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Dipsocoridae

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Enicocephalidae

Enicocephalidae, also called unique-headed bug and gnat bug, are a family of 130 species of the suborder heteroptera. They are typically 4 mm long, and found throughout the world. They have an elongated head, constricted in places, hence its head is 'unique'. [more]

Eumenotidae

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Gelastocoridae

The Gelastocoridae (toad bugs) is a family of about 100 species of insects in the suborder Heteroptera. They are reminiscent of toads both in their warty appearance and hopping movement. They are riparian insects, generally found at the margins of streams and ponds, where they are predators of small insects. Gelastocoridae catch their prey by leaping on top of them and grasping them with their modified front legs. Members of the family are found throughout the world, but their highest diversity is in the tropics. [more]

Gerridae

The family Gerridae contains insects commonly known as water striders, water bugs, magic bugs, pond skaters, skaters, skimmers, water scooters, water skaters, water skeeters, water skimmers or water skippers. These are predatory insects which rely on surface tension to walk on top of water. They live on the surface of ponds, slow streams, marshes, and other quiet waters. They can move very quickly, up to 1.5 m/s. [more]

Hebridae

Velvet water bugs are members of the family Hebridae. They are semiaquatic insects that live among moss or ponds with an abundance of vegetation, in which they prey on small arthropods. Velvet water bugs are the smallest of the Gerromorpha, and have an appearance of tiny veliids. Hebrids sometimes move across water surfaces, but walk or run rather than skate or scull on the surface. [more]

Helotrephidae

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Hermatobatidae

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Hydrometridae

Hydrometridae is a family of semi-aquatic insects, known as marsh treaders or water measurers. They have a characteristic elongated head and body which makes them resemble a yardstick for measuring the water surface. [more]

Hyocephalidae

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Hypsipterygidae

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Idiostolidae

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Isometopidae

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Joppeicidae

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Largidae

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Leotichiidae

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Leptopodidae

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Lestoniidae

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Lygaeidae

The Lygaeidae are a family in the Hemiptera (true bugs), comprising twenty-one genera. The family includes insects commonly known as chinch bugs and also some of those known as seed bugs (the atypical seed bugs, Rhyparochromidae, were formerly placed herein too). Many of the species feed on seeds, although some are predators of other insects, some feed on sap (mucivory), and others feed on blood (hematophagy). [more]

Macroveliidae

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Madeoveliidae

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Malcidae

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Medocostidae

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Megarididae

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Mesoveliidae

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Microphysidae

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Miridae

The large and diverse insect family Miridae contains the plant bugs, leaf bugs, and grass bugs, and may also be known as capsid bugs. It is the largest family of true bugs belonging to the suborder Heteroptera, with over 10,000 known species and new ones constantly being described. They are small, terrestrial insects, usually oval-shaped or elongate and measuring less than 12 mm in length. Some are brightly colored, others drab or dark. Some genera are ant mimics at certain stages of life. Most of the more well-known mirids have received attention because they are agricultural pests. They pierce plant tissues and feed on the juices. [more]

Nabidae

The insect family Nabidae contains the damsel bugs. The terms damsel bug and nabid are synonymous. There are over 400 species. They are soft-bodied, elongate, winged terrestrial predators. Many damsel bugs catch and hold prey with their forelegs, similar to mantids. They are considered helpful species in agriculture because of their predation on many types of crop pests, such as cabbage worms, aphids, and lygus bugs. [more]

Naucoridae

Naucoridae is a small family of insects commonly known as the creeping water bugs. They are very similar in appearance and behavior to the giant water bugs (Belostomatidae), and also occur in ponds and other still waters. There are approximately 20 genera in 5 subfamilies, distributed worldwide. [more]

Nepidae

Nepidae is a family of insects in the order Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera.[1] They are commonly called water scorpions for their superficial resemblance to a scorpion, due to the modification of the legs of the anterior pair for predation, and to the presence of a long slender process, simulating a tail, at the posterior end of the abdomen. There are eight genera in the family, in two subfamilies, Nepinae and Ranatrinae. Members of the genus Ranatra are sometimes called needle bugs or water stick insects as they are more slender than Nepa and its relatives. The common British species (Nepa cinerea) lives in ponds and stagnant water, and feeds upon aquatic animal organisms principally of the insect kind. Respiration in the adult is effected by means of the caudal process, which consists of a pair of half-tubes capable of being locked together to form a siphon by means of which air is conducted to the tracheae at the apex of the abdomen when the tip of the tube is thrust above the surface of the water. In immature forms the siphon is undeveloped and breathing takes place through six pairs of abdominal spiracles. The eggs, laid in the stems of plants, are supplied with seven filamentous processes which float freely in the water. [more]

Notonectidae

Notonectidae is a cosmopolitan family of aquatic insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly called backswimmers because they swim upside down. They are all predators, up to nearly 2 cm in size. They are similar to corixidae (Water boatmen), but can be separated by differences in their dorsal-ventral coloration, front legs, and predatory behavior. Their dorsum convex is light colored without cross striations. Their front tarsi are not scoop-shaped and their hind legs are fringed for swimming. There are two subfamilies, Notonectinae and Anisopinae, each containing four genera. [more]

Ochteridae

Ochteridae is a family of insects commonly known as the velvety shore bugs. There are around 25 species. Their habit is the edge of ponds and other still waters. [more]

Omaniidae

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Pachynomidae

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Paraphrynoveliidae

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Pentatomidae

Pentatomidae Greek: "pente" (five) + "tomos" (a section) is a family of insects that includes some of the stink bugs and shield bugs. [more]

Phloeidae

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Piesmatidae

Piesmatidae is a small family of true bugs, commonly called ash-grey leaf bugs. It contains a mere three living genera with about 40 described species altogether. The Piesmatidae are distributed mostly in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with some occurring in Africa, Australia and South America. A common species found throughout the Americas is Piesma cinereum. [more]

Plataspidae

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Pleidae

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Plokiophilidae

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Polyctenidae

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Pyrrhocoridae

Pyrrhocoridae is a family of insects with more than 300 species world-wide. A common species in parts of Europe is the firebug. They are part of the order Hemiptera which are also known as the 'true bugs'. A few are important crop pests. They are called cotton stainers because their red bodies get crushed along with the cotton they eat when it is harvested, and these stains are difficult to remove. Their feeding mechanism also cuts the fibres and hence affects the growth of the cotton ball. They caused massive problems in the United States during the industrial revolution. [more]

Reduviidae

Reduviidae is a large, cosmopolitan family of predatory insects in the suborder Heteroptera. It includes assassin bugs (genera include Melanolestes, Psellipus, Rasahus, Reduvius, Rhiginia, Sinea, Triatoma, and Zelus), wheel bugs (Arilus cristatus), ambush bugs (genera include Apiomerus and Phymata), and thread-legged bugs (the subfamily Emesinae, including the genus Emesaya). There are about 7000 species altogether, making it one of the largest families in the Hemiptera. [more]

Rhopalidae

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Saldidae

Saldidae, also known as shore bugs, are a family of insects in the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They are oval-shaped and measure 2–8 mm when mature. Typically they are found near shorelines or the marginal growths near water. They can flee by leaping or taking flight. [more]

Schizopteridae

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Scutelleridae

Scutelleridae are otherwise known as shield-backed bugs, a reference to the fact that their shield is continuous, not divided. Because bugs in this family are usually brightly colored, they are also known as Jewel bugs. These insects feed on plant juices, and are closely related to stink bugs. [more]

Stemmocryptidae

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Stenocephalidae

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Termitaphididae

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Tessaratomidae

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Thaumastellidae

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Thaumastocoridae

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Thyreocoridae

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Tingidae

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Urostylidae

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Veliidae

Veliidae is a family of predatory insects in the suborder Heteroptera. They are commonly known as smaller water striders, riffle bugs, or broad-shouldered water striders due to the fact that the segment immediately behind the head is wider than the rest of the abdomen. They are small, typically about 4.5 mm. [more]

Velocipedidae

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Vianaididae

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More info about the Family vianaididae may be found here.

Sources

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