Features Class Insecta: Order Hemiptera True Bugs Sucking mouthparts, simple metamorphosis Forewings of most species divided into leathery and membranous halves ( Hemi =half; -ptera =wing) Wings held flat over the body at rest. Some species aquatic; others terrestrial. Some groups are plant feeders exclusively, some are omnivorous and others are predaceous. Some also blood feeders.
Water Boatman Class Insecta, Order Hemiptera Photo: cals. ncsu.edu All stages aquatic. Forelegs very short, scoop-like. Middle legs very slender; hind legs broad, flat, oar-like. Swims right side up. Eats algae; does not bite. Common in ponds, stock tanks. Adults fly.
Backswimmer Class Insecta, Order Hemiptera Photo: D. B. Richman, NMSU All stages aquatic in ponds, stock tanks, puddles. First legs lack scoop-like tarsi; hind legs often With dense bristles, used oar-like, longer than 2 nd legs. Swim upside down. Predators in all stages. Will bite. Adults can fly.
Water Strider Class Insecta, Order Hemiptera Photo: David Cappaert, MI State Univ, bugwood.org Flattened body with widely spread legs; dark brown & white. Middle & hind legs easily seen; Forelegs relatively short, tucked under body. Predators, scavengers on water surface.
Plant- or Leaf-bug Class Insecta, Order Hemiptera Lygus bug. Photo: Ettore Balocchi, En. Wikipedia.org Cotton fleahopper. Photo: James Smith, Mississippi State University, Bugwood.org Most <10mm long. No ocelli. 4-segmented beak. Color variable; some brightly colored. Soft Bodies. Some brightly colored. Nearly all plant feeders (some serious pests); a few predatory. Some jump (fleahoppers).
Ambush Bug Class Insecta, Order Hemiptera Photo: D. B. Richman, NMSU Body stout; abdomen angled, often wider toward rear. See flanges on upper sides of Thorax and abdomen. Forelegs enlarged, stout, raptorial. Antennae 4-segmented, slightly Clubbed. Often yellow with green or brown on wings, thorax & abdomen. Abt. ½ long.
Assassin Bug Class Insecta, Order Hemiptera Photo: D. B. Richman, NMSU Triatoma sp., kissing bug (blood feeder, can be disease transmitter to animals, humans) Photo: Univ. Florida, Entomology Zelus sp., common beneficial (predator) Body somewhat oval to very elongated. Beak 3-segmented, stout, curved, fitting into groove anterior to 1 st legs. Antennae 4-segmented. Front legs somewhat raptorial. Bite. Many beneficial.
Damsel Bug Class Insecta, Order Hemiptera Both Photos: D. B. Richman, NMSU Similar to assassin bugs, but usually smaller (<11mm). Beak 4-segmented; antennae 4-5 segmented. Ocelli present. 1 st legs slightly raptorial. Winged or wingless. Membrane of forewings usually with numerous small cells around margins. Predatory, beneficial, usually do not bite.
Seed Bugs Class Insecta, Order Hemiptera Univ CA Archive, Univ CA, Bugwood.org False chinch bug Photo: D. B. Richman, NMSU Milkweed Bug Bradley Higbee, Paramount Farming, Bugwood.org Big-Eyed Bug Ocelli present. Antennae & beak 4-segmented. Tarsi 3-segmented with pad at base of claws. Front femora sometimes thickened in predatory species. Membrane of forewing with 4-5 veins. Some brightly colored. Most <10mm long. Plant feeders usually attack seeds; big-eyed bugs are predators (rarely bite).
Leaf-footed Plant Bug Class Insecta, Order Hemiptera Leptoglossus clypealis. Photo: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org Most medium to large-sized bugs (<18mm) with somewhat elongated, dark-colored bodies. Head narrower & shorter than pronotum. Hind tibiae of some species broad, flattened, leaf-like. Membrane of forewing with numerous veins. Squash bug & leaf-footed plant bug are plant pests. Majority of species are plant feeders; a few are predators.
Stink Bug Class Insecta, Order Hemiptera Both Photos: D. B. Richman, NMSU Broadly oval/shield-shaped, flattened bodies. Scutellum large, triangular. Smallest are abt. ¼ Long, many abt. ½ long. Color variable: brown or green common; black, orange, tan, metallic dark blue or gray possible on other species. Some plant feeders & crop pests. Others predatory. Nymphs & adults release acrid odor when injured or roughly handled. Some spp. invasive.
Class Insecta: Order Homoptera Aphids, Hoppers, Scale Insects Sucking mouthparts, feed on plants (sap) Metamorphosis simple Highly variable in size---few mm long to 2 + Adults of many species winged; others are wingless Some scale insects are immobile & don t even have the basic features of adult insects (3 body parts, jointed legs, compound eyes, antennae, etc.)
Cicada Class Insecta, Order Homoptera Both Photos: D. B. Richman, NMSU Large insects, to 50mm long. 2 pairs membranous wings, each with many veins. Strong, noisy fliers. 3 ocelli; do not jump. Male with sound-producing organs on venter of abdomen; makes loud chirring songs during the day. Females lack sound-producing organs. Ovipositor saber-like; eggs laid in soft wood of yucca stalks, twigs on some trees. Durations of life cycles for NM species not known. 17 year locust or cicada from the Eastern US or Midwest spends 17 years underground. Nymphs harmlessly feed on root sap of various plants. Adults short-lived.
Treehopper Class Insecta, Order Homoptera Three-cornered alfalfa hopper. Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, Bugwood.org Small, hump-backed jumping insects, usually <10mm long. Pronotum expanded, often projecting backward over abdomen. May have spines or sharp corners on green or brown body. Hind tibiae lacking comb-like row of short spines. Plant feeders.
Leafhopper Class Insecta, Order Homoptera Reyes Garcia III, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org Photo: G. Oldfield, USDA, Bugwood.org Usually <10mm long. Bodies cigar- or wedge-shaped with comb-like row of short spines on hind tibiae. Coloration highly variable by species.
Planthopper Class Insecta, Order Homoptera Photo: D. B. Richman, NMSU Photo: Jim Occi, BugPics, Bugwood.org Similar to treehoppers but antennae are attached to sides of head beneath eyes. Hind tibiae lack rows of comb-like spines. Usually <13mm. On some species, wings bulge near middle of body & a few have projections on their heads. Photo: Charles Olson, USDA-ARS, Bugwood.org
Aphid Class Insecta, Order Homoptera Photo: Herbert A. 'Joe' Pase III, Texas Forest Service, Bugwood.org Soft-bodied, usually pear-shaped, often <4-8mm long. Many species have paired tube-like projections (cornicles) on the end of the abdomen. Adults winged or wingless. Wings have very few veins in them. Photo: Louis Tedders, USDA-ARS, Bugwood.org
Scale Insect Class Insecta, Order Homoptera Photo: ER Day, VA Polytech. Inst. & SU, Bugwood.org Photo: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mtn Reg Archive, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Most species don t look like insects at all unless recently hatched nymphs are found. Bodies of older nymphs and adults covered with non-living scales which many be either soft or hard, waxy or solid. Adult females wingless and usually (not always) legless. Adult males usually with 2 wings; most are nearly microscopic. When collecting scales, collect the scale and plant part to which it is attached; dry this & mount on piece of card-stock or pin(s) inserted through plant part. Adult male scales usually slide mounted.
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