Suborder Heteroptera - True Bugs

Formerly treated as a separate order called Hemiptera or Heteroptera; now considered a part of the re-defined order Hemiptera

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:

PANHETEROPTERA

Infraorder Nepomorpha: aquatic; >2,300 spp. in 140 genera worldwide; 5 superfamilies:

Infraorder Leptopodomorpha: riparian/intertidal (with few exceptions); ~340 spp. in ~60 genera worldwide; 2 superfamilies:

Infraorder Cimicomorpha: terrestrial; ~20,600 spp. in >2,700 genera worldwide; 7 superfamilies (one monotypic superfamily is restricted to se. Mediterranean):

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):

1-65 mm

Characteristics of Heteroptera(5)(6):

General identification manuals:(7)(8); keys to aquatic bugs in(9)(10)(11); a simple, well-illustrated online key to families in(12)

Worldwide

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

most species feed on plant juices, many are predators, some are mixed feeders, a few are parasites (blood-sucking)

Gradual or incomplete metamorphosis (no pupa stage); juveniles (nymphs) resemble adults except they usually have reduced wings and are incapable of flight.

Some are considered agricultural or household pests; info on economically important spp. in(13)

How to tell a bug from a beetle:

[copied from Jim McClarin's comment on an image no longer available]

The first thing I look at is the antennae. If they are long-to-medium length but have fewer than six segments (4-5), then it's a bug. Beetles have many more segments (antennomeres) in their antennae. Often in bugs the end antennomere is a lot longer than the rest and you can see the angle of the bend, sorta like this:

/ \

\ /

Another thing to look for is pinching mandibles on a beetle's mouthparts and a piercing, sucking mouthparts on bugs that is usually folded back against their underside.

Finally, many bugs have quite apparent half wingcovers that, together with their triangular scutellum (between the forward portion of the wingcovers), forms an X shape.

However, in some bugs (Scutelleridae, Thyreocoridae) the scutellum is so large that it covers nearly the entire wing area. These bugs have tiny wingcovers at the sides of their backs and lack the wingcover suture of a beetle running down the middle of the back.