Hemiptera - The
True Bugs
The
general public often uses the term "bug" to refer to many different arthropods,
for example mealybugs, ladybugs and pillbugs. Hemiptera are sometimes referred
to as the "true bugs" to distinguish them from insects and other creatures where
this common name has been used.
The
most distinctive features of this group are the structure of the front wings
and the mouthparts. In most Hemiptera the basal portion of the front wing is
thickened and leathery and the apical portion (toward the end) is membranous.
This type of wing is called a hemielytron (plural, hemielytra,).
The
Hemiptera consist of the "true" bugs and are the fifth largest order of the
class Insecta. There are about 4,500 species reported in North America.
