Stridulation is the act of producing sound by rubbing together certain body parts. This behavior is mostly associated with insects, but other animals are known to do this as well, such as a number of species of fish, snakes and spiders. The mechanism is typically that of one structure with a well-defined lip, ridge, or nodules being moved across a finely-ridged surface or vice versa, and vibrating as it does so, like the dragging of a phonograph needle across a vinyl record. Sometimes it is the structure bearing the file which resonates to produce the sound, but in other cases it is the structure bearing the scraper, with both variants possible in related groups. Common onomatopoeic words for the sounds produced by stridulation include chirp and chirrup.
Pyrrhocoridae is a family of insects with more than 300 species world-wide. Many are red coloured and are known as red bugs and some species are called cotton stainers because their feeding activities leave an indelible yellow-brownish stain on cotton crops. A common species in parts of Europe is the firebug, and its genus name Pyrrhocoris and the family name are derived from the Greek roots for fire "pyrrho-" and bug "coris". Members of this family are often confused with, but can be quickly separated from, Lygaeidae by the lack of ocelli on the top of the head.
Nysius is a genus of false chinch bugs in the family Lygaeidae. At least 100 described species are placed in Nysius.
Leptoglossus is a genus of true bugs in the leaf-footed bug family and the tribe Anisoscelini. Species are distributed throughout the Americas, with some records in eastern & southern Asia and Europe. Several species are economic pests of agricultural crops. Like members of some other genera in the family, these bugs have leaflike dilations of the hind tibia. Several species are of economic importance, and one species, L. chilensis, has been reported to bite humans.
Macrocheraia is a genus of bugs in the family Largidae with a single species, Macrocheraia grandis found mainly in Southeast Asia but extending into parts of South Asia. This was referred to in some older literature under the genus Lohita, a name derived from the Sanskrit word for red.
The Blissidae are a family in the Hemiptera, comprising nearly 50 genera and 400 species. The group has often been treated as a subfamily of the Lygaeidae but was resurrected as a full family by Thomas Henry (1997).
Dysdercus is a widespread genus of true bugs in the family Pyrrhocoridae; a number of species attacking cotton bolls may be called "cotton stainers".
Neacoryphus is a genus of seed bugs in the family Lygaeidae. There are about five described species in Neacoryphus.
Ochrimnus is a genus of seed bugs in the family Lygaeidae. There are more than 40 described species in Ochrimnus.
Eremocoris is a genus of dirt-colored seed bugs in the family Rhyparochromidae. There are at least 45 described species in the genus Eremocoris.
Lygaeospilus is a genus of seed bugs in the family Lygaeidae. There are at least four described species in Lygaeospilus.
Scantius aegyptius, the Mediterranean red bug, is a species of red bug in the family Pyrrhocoridae, that is a pest of plant species in the family Malvaceae.
Scantius is a genus of mostly African and European bugs in the family Pyrrhocoridae. There are at least two described species in Scantius.
Kleidocerys is a genus of seed bugs in the family Lygaeidae. There are about 17 described species in Kleidocerys.
Gampsocorinae is a subfamily of stilt bugs in the family Berytidae. There are about 60 described species in Gampsocorinae.
Arhaphe cicindeloides is a species of bordered plant bug in the family Largidae. It is found in Central America but all records of this species from the United States are misidentifications of the related Arhaphe arguta.
Melanopleurus is a genus of seed bugs in the family Lygaeidae. There are more than 20 described species in the genus Melanopleurus.
Malcidae is a family of true bugs in the order Hemiptera. There are at least 4 genera and more than 40 described species in Malcidae.
Physopelta is a genus of bordered plant bugs in the family Largidae. There are about 30 described species in Physopelta, found in Asia and Oceania.
Melacoryphus is a genus of seed bugs in the family Lygaeidae. There are about 11 described species in Melacoryphus, found in Central and North America.
