Geocoris

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Geocoris
Geocoris punctipes.jpg
Geocoris punctipes
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Geocoridae
Subfamily: Geocorinae
Genus: Geocoris
Fallén, 1814
Diversity
More than 140 species
Synonyms [1]
  • Ophthalmicus Schilling, 1829

Geocoris is a genus of insects in the family Geocoridae (although in the past the geocorids were subsumed as a subfamily under the family "Lygaeidae"). Commonly known as big-eyed bugs, the species in Geocoris are beneficial predators, but are often confused with the true chinch bug, which is a pest. [2] [3] There are more than 140 described species in Geocoris. [1] [4] [5]

Contents

Description

Big-eyed bugs are true bugs in the order Hemiptera. The two most common North American species are Geocoris pallens and Geocoris punctipes . Both are predators and occur in many habitats, including fields, gardens, and turf grass. Big-eyed bugs are considered an important predator in many agricultural systems and feed on mites, insect eggs, and small insects such as pink bollworm, cabbage loopers, and whiteflies. Adult big-eyed bugs are small (about 3 mm (0.12 in)) black, gray, or tan with proportionately large eyes. Eggs are deposited singly or in clusters on leaves near potential prey. They develop with incomplete metamorphosis (there is no pupa) and take approximately 30 days to develop from egg to adult depending on temperature. Both nymphs and adults are predatory, but can survive on nectar and honeydew when prey are scarce. Big-eyed bugs, like other true bugs, have piercing-sucking mouthparts and feed by stabbing their prey and sucking or lapping the juices. Although their effectiveness as predators is not well understood, studies have shown that nymphs can eat as many as 1600 spider mites before reaching adulthood, while adults have been reported consuming as many as 80 mites per day. [6] [7]

Selected species

See also

Related Research Articles

Hemiptera Order of insects often called bugs

Hemiptera or true bugs are an order of insects comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, bed bugs and shield bugs. They range in size from 1 mm (0.04 in) to around 15 cm (6 in), and share a common arrangement of sucking mouthparts. The name "true bugs" is often limited to the suborder Heteroptera. Many insects commonly known as "bugs", especially in American English, belong to other orders; for example, the lovebug is a fly and the May bug and ladybug are beetles.

Pentatomoidea Superfamily of true bugs

The Pentatomoidea are a superfamily of insects in the Heteroptera suborder of the Hemiptera order. As Hemiptera, they share a common arrangement of sucking mouthparts. The roughly 7000 species under Pentatomoidea are divided into 21 families. Among these are the shield bugs, giant shield bugs, burrower bugs, and stink bugs.

Coreidae Family of insects

Coreidae is a large family of predominantly sap-suckling insects in the Hemipteran suborder Heteroptera. The name "Coreidae" derives from the genus Coreus, which derives from the Ancient Greek κόρις (kóris) meaning bedbug.

Blissus leucopterus, also known as the true chinch bug, is a small North American insect in the order Hemiptera and family Blissidae. It is the most commonly encountered species of the genus Blissus, which are all known as chinch bugs. A closely related species is B. insularis, the southern chinch bug.

Cimicomorpha Order of true bugs

The Cimicomorpha are an infraorder of insects in the order Hemiptera, the true bugs. The rostrum and other morphology of all members apparently is adapted to feeding on animals as their prey or hosts. Members include bed bugs, bat bugs, assassin bugs, and pirate bugs.

Lygaeoidea Superfamily of true bugs

The Lygaeoidea are a sizeable superfamily of true bugs, containing seed bugs and allies, in the order Hemiptera. There are about 16 families and more than 4,600 described species in Lygaeoidea, found worldwide. Most feed on seeds or sap, but a few are predators.

Lygaeidae Family of true bugs

The Lygaeidae are a family in the Hemiptera, with more than 110 genera in four subfamilies. The family includes the insects commonly known as milkweed bugs, and also some of those known as seed bugs. The family was vastly larger, but numerous former subfamilies have been removed and given independent family status, including the Artheneidae, Blissidae, Cryptorhamphidae, Cymidae, Geocoridae, Heterogastridae, Ninidae, Oxycarenidae and Rhyparochromidae, which together constituted well over half of the former family. Many of the species feed on seeds, although some feed on sap (mucivory), and a few, such as the wekiu bug, feed on insects.

<i>Gargaphia solani</i> Species of true bug

Gargaphia solani is a subsocial species of lace bug commonly known as the eggplant lace bug. The species was described by Heidemann in 1914 after it aroused attention a year earlier in the United States as an eggplant pest around Norfolk, Virginia. Fink found that the species became an agricultural pest when eggplant is planted on a large scale.

Tessaratomidae Family of true bugs

Tessaratomidae is a family of true bugs. It contains about 240 species of large bugs divided into 3 subfamilies and 56 genera.

<i>Abedus</i> Genus of true bugs

Abedus is a genus of giant water bugs found in freshwater habitats in southern United States, Mexico and Central America. Sometimes called ferocious water bugs, these brown insects typically are between 2.3 and 4 cm (0.9–1.6 in) long, although A. immaculatus only is about 1.3–1.4 cm (0.51–0.55 in), making it the smallest North American belostomatid and possibly worthy of separation in its own genus. Otherwise the different Abedus species are very similar and can often only be separated with a microscope. They will bite in self-defense, which is painful but not dangerous.

<i>Lethocerus patruelis</i> Species of true bug

Lethocerus patruelis is a giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae. It is native to southeastern Europe, through Southwest Asia, to Pakistan, India and Burma. It is the largest European true bug and aquatic insect. Adult females are typically 7–8 cm (2.8–3.1 in) long, while the adult males are 6–7 cm (2.4–2.8 in).

Dicyphus hesperus is a species of true bug in the family Miridae. It is a generalist predator of other insects and also feeds on plant tissues. It is native to North America and has been used there in biological control of agricultural pests, especially whitefly on tomatoes.

<i>Caenocoris nerii</i> Species of true bug

Caenocoris nerii, common name oleander seedbug, is a species of ground bugs in the insect family Lygaeidae.

Deraeocoris brevis is a species of predatory plant bug in the family Miridae. It is native to North America where it feeds on plant pests in apple and pear orchards.

Geocoris pallens, the western big-eyed bug, is a species of big-eyed bug in the family Geocoridae. It is found in Central America, North America, and Oceania.

Geocoridae Family of true bugs

Geocoridae is a family of big-eyed bugs in the order Hemiptera. There are more than 290 described species in Geocoridae.

<i>Lygaeus kalmii</i> Species of true bug

Lygaeus kalmii, known as the small milkweed bug or common milkweed bug, is a species of seed bug in the family Lygaeidae. It is found in Central America and North America.

Rhynocoris longifrons is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae. It is a predator of other insects and is found in Asia. Crops on which it is found feeding on pests include pigeon pea, cardamom and peanuts. The insects are potentially useful in biological control because they are more resistant to pesticides than are the pests they consume.

Oxycarenus laetus, commonly known as the dusky cotton bug, is a species of plant bug belonging to the family Lygaeidae. It is sometimes known as the Egyptian cotton stainer, and is found in southern Asia where it is a pest of cotton, okra and other crops.

References

  1. 1 2 "Geocoris Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
  2. "Managing lawn and turf insects: blade-sucking: Predator: Big-eyed bug (Geocoris, Family Gelastocoridae, Order Hemiptera)". Extension Service, University of Minnesota. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013.
  3. Kastl, Herbert J. (1964). "Control of the Hairy Cinch Bug in Turf". Bulletin of the New York State Turfgrass Association. 73: 302.
  4. "Geocoris". GBIF. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
  5. "Geocoris Genus Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
  6. Schuh, Randall T.; Slater, James Alexander (1995). True Bugs of the World (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. ISBN   978-0-8014-2066-5.
  7. Ashlock, P. D.; Slater, A. (1988). "Family Lygaeidae". In Henry, Thomas J.; Froeschner, Richard C. (eds.). Catalog of the Heteroptera, or True Bugs, of Canada and the Continental United States. Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill. pp. 167–245. ISBN   978-0-916846-44-2.