Hemiptera

Encyclopedia : H : HE : HEM : Hemiptera

Hemiptera is a large, cosmopolitan order of insects, comprising some 67,500 known species in three suborders. Traditionally these taxa were treated as two separate orders, Homoptera (= Auchenorrhyncha plus Sternorrhyncha) and Heteroptera; the former name is now obsolete (the group was paraphyletic), and the latter name is falling into disuse, often replaced by Prosorrhyncha. Members of the "Heteroptera" are typically called "true bugs". The name heteroptera comes from their forewings having both membranous and hard portions. It is also essentially this same feature which gives the order its name, hemiptera, coming from the Greek for half-wing.

Members of the Hemiptera are distinguished from all other insects by both adults and nymphs having symmetrical piercing and sucking mouthparts housed in a long "beak". They are thus limited to a liquid diet. Most species feed on plant juices, including seeds, but some species are predatory (on arthropods and sometimes small animals), and a few are adapted to suck blood from mammals.

Suborder

25,000 known species in over 60 families.

Aphids on unidentified plant

Suborder

Cicadas and hoppers; 33,000 species in over 30 families.

Suborder

12,500 species.

External links

• http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/hemip.htm
• http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/hemip1.htm
• [Tree of Life project]

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