Hemiptera: a quick guide to common families
Amy L. Springer Utah State University About this guide:
This guide was developed as a visual reference for quick identification of common Hemipteran families. Not all species in these families will show all of the characters noted, but this guide should be sufficient for identifying most common species to the family level. The individual illustrations are an average representation of a particular family and do not represent one species in particular. This is not a dichotomous key.
All illustrations were completed with a calligraphy pen and ink by Amy L. Springer, and all image rights are reserved.
2 Table of contents:
Glossary of terms...... (4) Suborder Auchenorrhyncha: the free-living Hemipterans (19) Identification of suborders..(5) Cercopoidea……...20 Suborder Heteroptera: the Cicadidae………… 21 typical true bugs..…………. (6) Cicadellidae………22 Membracidae…….23 Miridae…………… 7 Flatidae……………24 Coreidae...... 8 Delphacidae…….. 25 Rhopalidae………. 9 Lygaeidae………… 10 Pentatomidae…….11 Suborder Sternorrhyncha: the Nabidae……………12 plant-parasitic Hemipterans (26) Reduviidae………..13 Belostomatidae…. 14 Aleyrodidae……… 27 Corixidae………….15 Aphididae…………28 Notonectidae……..16 Coccoidea…………29 Gerridae………….. 17 Adelgidae………….30 Cimicidae………… 18 Psylloidea………… 31
3 Glossary of terms
Beak: the hardened proboscis or feeding mouthparts of a Hemipteran. Calcar: a moveable, thumb-like spur found at the end of the hind tibiae of some insects. Clypeus: an exoskeleton “plate” found on the head of an insect above the jaws. The “upper lip” of an insect. Cornicles: tubes that emerge from the abdomen of an aphid and emit pheromones. Cuneus: a triangle-shaped region at the end of the leathery portion of the forewing of a Heteropteran. Femur: the third leg segment of an insect, located between the trochanter (the segment nearer to the insect’s body) and the tibia (the segment located further from the insect’s body). Plural: femurs. Filiform: thread-like. Used to describe long, thin, smooth insect antennae. Fossorial: in insects, forelegs that are modified for digging, as in mole crickets or cicadas. Marginal cells: Cells in an insect wing that directly adjoin the margin (edge) of the wing. Ocellus: Small, round, simple eyes that detect light and dark. Found on the head of many insects. Plural: ocelli. Pronotum: the exoskeleton “plate” of an insect that covers most of the thorax on the insect’s dorsal side. Raptorial: in insects, forelegs that are modified for grabbing prey, as in in praying mantises. Scutellum: the triangular-shaped thorax plate found between where the forewings attach to the insect’s thorax. Sub-marginal vein: the wing vein of an insect running directly parallel to the margin (edge) of the wing. Tarsus: the foot of an insect. Usually comprised of multiple segments called tarsomeres. The claw of an insect, if present, is not included in a tarsomere count. Plural: tarsae. Thorax: the middle segment of an insect’s body found between the head and the abdomen (belly). Tibia: the fourth leg segment of an insect, located between the femur and the tarsus (foot). Plural: tibiae. Wing pad: small, leathery pads found on the thorax of juvenile insects or adult wingless insects where wings would normally emerge. 4 Identification of Suborders:
If your bug has wings divided into a leathery portion and a membranous portion and a beak arising from the front of the head, start on page 6: Heteroptera.
If your bug has fully membranous wings, bristle-like antennae, and a beak arising from the back of the head, start on page 19: Auchenorrhyncha.
If your bug has fully membranous wings, long, thin antennae, and a beak arising from the back of the head, start on page 26: Sternorrhyncha.
5 Suborder Heteroptera
The typical true bugs
6 Miridae: plant bugs
Typically smaller than the size of your pinky fingernail Wings bent at a downward angle
No ocelli
Cuneus present (section of the leathery upper part of wing separated by a crease)
Thin, delicate legs
Long, thin antennae 7 Coreidae: leaf-footed bugs
Typically longer than your thumbnail Antennae four- segmented
Ocelli present
Head far narrower than thorax
Enlarged or flattened hind tibiae Tarsae 3-segmented
8 Rhopalidae: scentless plant bugs
Typically larger than your pinky nail
Numerous small veins on membranous portion of wing
Ocelli present and pronounced
9 Lygaeidae: seed bugs
Four or five large, simple veins on membranous portion of wing
Triangle-shaped head
Typically larger than your pinky nail
10 Pentatomidae: stinkbugs
Typically larger than your pinky nail
Elongated, triangle- Five antennal shaped scutellum segments covering part of the wings
Membranous portion of wings still largely visible
Shield-shaped body 11 Nabidae: damsel bugs
Series of short veins Cone-shaped head at end of wings with little ‘neck’
Thin, long, four- segmented beak
Typically around the size of your pinky nail
Slender but raptorial (praying mantis-like) forelegs 12 Reduviidae: assassin bugs
Thin, turtle-like Few or no obvious veins neck at end of wings
Thick raptorial (praying mantis- like) forelegs
Thick, short, three- Typically longer than segmented beak about your thumbnail the same length as head
13 Belostomatidae: giant water bugs
Body large and Modified raptorial (grabbing) flattened top to bottom forelegs with single large claw at the end
Breathing tubes
Feathery hairs on hind tibiae for swimming
Typically as large as your thumb 14 Corixidae: water boatmen
Short forelegs modified into curved claws Series of small horizontal striations on back
Typically larger than your pinky nail
Hind legs modified into an “oar” shape with feathery hairs for swimming
Body more rectangular than triangular
15 Notonectidae: backswimmers
No obvious modification to forelegs
Typically larger than your pinky nail Swims on back
Eyes close together (less than one eye- width apart)
Triangular-shaped body
Hind legs modified for swimming with long, Dark thorax feathery hairs
16 Gerridae: water striders
Hind femur longer than Four-segmented antennae the length of the abdomen
May or may not have wings
Walk along surface of water with specialized hairs Typically larger in diameter than a nickel
17 Cimicidae: bedbugs
Body is flattened and oval in shape
Typically smaller than Wingless, but wing your pinky nail pads present 18 Suborder Auchenorrhyncha
The free-living Hemipterans
19 Cercopoidea: froghoppers and spittlebugs
Bristle-like antennae Typically smaller than your pinky nail
Grooved clypeus
Crown-like ring of spines One or two stout spines at end of hind tibia along length of tibia 20 Cicadidae: cicadas
Three large ocelli Larger than your on top of head thumbnail (some as large as your thumb)
Grooved clypeus
Bristle-like antennae
May have fossorial (digging) forelegs
21 Cicadellidae: leafhoppers
Typically smaller than your pinky nail Two ocelli
Grooved clypeus
Rows of comb-like teeth along the entire length of Bristle-like the hind tibia antennae
22 Membracidae: treehoppers
Enlarged and elaborate Typically smaller than pronotum, often extending your pinky nail over the abdomen
Bristle-like antennae
Tibiae may be flattened
23 Flatidae: Flatid planthoppers
Typically smaller than Often covered in your thumbnail Wing shape is blunt waxy secretions or boat-shaped
Bristle-like antennae
Marginal cells extending Sub-marginal around edge of wing vein present 24 Delphacidae: Delphacid planthoppers
Typically smaller than your pinky nail
Tube-like first antennal segment
Bristle-like antennae
A calcar, or a moveable thumb-like spur at the end of the hind tibia, is present
25 Suborder Sternorrhyncha The plant-parasitic Hemipterans
26 Aleyrodidae: whiteflies
Typically smaller than a peppercorn Hind wings fully filiform antennae developed
Eyes restricted into upper and lower halves
Covered in a thin layer of dusty or powdery white wax
27 Aphididae: aphids
May be covered in Two cornicles white, fluffy wax Long, thin, filiform on abdomen (wooly aphids) antennae
May or may not have wings Typically smaller than a peppercorn 28 Coccoidea: scales and mealybugs (female only)
Moves very slowly Typically smaller than or not at all your pinky nail
No obvious legs or antennae May produce large May be entirely covered amounts of white, by a hard plate fluffy wax 29 Adelgidae: spruce aphids
May be covered in Wing venation highly reduced: only white, fluffy wax three major veins on upper half of wing
filiform antennae
small, underdeveloped legs compared to Psylloidea Typically smaller than a peppercorn 30 Psylloidea: jumping plant lice
Prominent vein near bottom of wing edge Long, thin, filiform antennae
Hind legs modified for jumping
Beak appears to emerge from chest Typically smaller than a peppercorn 31