( Miridae )
PHOTO COMMENT
(Hahn ,1833 )
LOCATION DETAILS
RECOGNITION
BIOLOGY
CREDITS
Adrian Cotter
Insect Sciences Museum of California
References
| Plant Bug ( Miridae ) | |
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PHOTO COMMENT | |
| IDENTIFICATION | |
| Identification: | Miridae (Hahn ,1833 ) |
| Common Name: | Plant Bug |
| Life Stage: | (N) nymph/naiad |
| PHYLOGENY | |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Superorder: | Paraneoptera |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Miridae |
| Taxon Code: | HET02352 |
| ITIS/TSN: | 104419 |
LOCATION DETAILS | |
| Location Name | |
| Cerrito Creek, Albany | |
| County: | Alameda County |
| ECI Site#: | CA01020119 |
RECOGNITION | |
| Description | |
| Form: Many are oval shaped with have a hunched - the shape of the prothorax causes the head to bend downward. Some are brightly colored and attractively patterned, while others are drab or dark, and most are inconspicuous. Some genera are ant mimics at certain stages of life. Legs - Legs are slender and delicate. Special hairs ('trichobothria') on the middle and hind femora are unique to the Miridae. Eyes - Ocelli are absent in western U.S. species. Wings - On the forewing, a hind section of the thickened anterior part (cuneus) is set off by a crease. The cuneus is visible in nearly all Miridae. Antennae Mostly long and thin, separating this family from the shorter and thicker antennae superfamilies Lygaeoidea and Coreoidea. Mouthparts: Their rostrum has four segments. usually oval-shaped or elongate. | |
| Body Length | |
| Adults 1.5-15 mm, larger in other areas. | |
| Diversity | |
| America, north of Mexico: 1,930 species in 223 genera. Worldwide: More than10,000 described species in about 1,300 genera. This is the largest heteropteran family with new species being described constantly. | |
| Similar Taxa | |
| Ocelli may be absent in other bugs, e.g. Cnemodus or Largidae. Wings - Cuneus is also present in Anthocoridae, Cimicidae, and Microphysidae. | |
BIOLOGY | |
| Food | |
| Most are plant feeders, but many feed on a variety of prey and plant products | |
| Importance | |
| The most widely known mirids are species that are notorious agricultural pests that pierce plant tissues, feed on the sap, and sometimes transmit viral plant diseases. | |
| Range | |
| Cosmopolitan | |
| Diversity | |
| America, north of Mexico: 1,930 species in 223 genera. Worldwide: More than10,000 described species in about 1,300 genera. This is the largest heteropteran family with new species being described constantly. | |
CREDITS | |
|
Photographer Adrian Cotter Insect Sciences Museum of California | |
References | |
| Family Miridae - Plant Bugs. (https://bugguide.net/node/view/94). Accessed June 26, 2019. . | |
| ITIS. | |
| Miridae. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miridae). Accessed June 26, 2019. | |
