Megarididae

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Megarididae
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Superfamily: Pentatomoidea
Family: Megarididae
McAtee & Malloch, 1928

Megarididae is a family of true bugs in the superfamily Pentatomoidea. The family consists of a single extant genus Megaris with about 16 species restricted to the Neotropical Realm and a fossil is known from Dominican amber.

Bugs in the family are small (< 5 mm long) and are beetle-like, convex and shiny. The family can be identified by an enlarged scutellum that covers the abdomen and wings entirely and the legs have two tarsal segments. The extant genus Megaris has the second tarsal segment much smaller than the first. The ocelli are ovoid-elliptical and the eyes are constricted. The antennae are four-segmented. They are smaller than the somewhat similar members of the Canopidae which have however slightly larger, have three tarsal segments, and have the lateral pronotal margins meeting in a rounded arc. A fossil species from 20 to 15 mya amber has been described as Minysporops dominicanus. [1] [2] [3]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemiptera</span> Order of insects often called true bugs

Hemiptera is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, 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 piercing-sucking mouthparts. The name "true bugs" is often limited to the suborder Heteroptera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentatomoidea</span> 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 stink bugs and shield bugs, jewel bugs, giant shield bugs, and burrower bugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyrrhocoridae</span> Family of true bugs

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scutelleridae</span> Family of insects

Scutelleridae is a family of true bugs. They are commonly known as jewel bugs or metallic shield bugs due to their often brilliant coloration. They are also known as shield-backed bugs due to the enlargement of the thoracic scutellum into a continuous shield over the abdomen and wings. This latter characteristic distinguishes them from most other families within Heteroptera, and may lead to misidentification as a beetle rather than a bug. These insects feed on plant juices from a variety of different species, including some commercial crops. Closely related to stink bugs, they may also produce an offensive odour when disturbed. There are around 450 species worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentatomomorpha</span> Infraorder of true bugs

The Pentatomomorpha comprise an infraorder of insects in the true bug order Hemiptera. It unites such animals as the stink bugs (Pentatomidae), flat bugs (Aradidae), seed bugs, etc. They are closely related to the Cimicomorpha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cydnidae</span> Family of true bug

Cydnidae are a family of pentatomoid bugs, known by common names including burrowing bugs or burrower bugs. As the common name would suggest, many members of the group live a subterranean lifestyle, burrowing into soil using their head and forelegs, only emerging to mate and then laying their eggs in soil. Other members of the group are not burrowers, and live above the soil layer, often in close association with plants. Several species are known as agricultural pests.

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

Termitaradus is a small tropicopolitan genus of true bugs placed in the family Termitaphididae. As is typical for the family, living members of Termitaradus are small, being an average of 2 millimetres (0.079 in) to 4 millimetres (0.16 in), and flattened with laminae extending out from each body segment giving a round scale like appearance. The same is true for the extinct species with the exception of T. protera which reaches 7 millimetres (0.28 in) in length. All members of Termitaphididae are inquilines lodging in the nests of host species of termites, with Termitaradus species known only from the family Rhinotermitidae. Though considered a separate family in Aradoidea it has been suggested by Drs David Grimaldi and Michael Engel in 2008 that Termataphididae may in fact be highly derived members of Aradidae. The second genus placed in Termitaphididae, Termitaphis, contains the monotypic species Termitaphis circumvallata which inhabits nests of Termitidae (termites) in Colombia.

<i>Termitaradus mitnicki</i> Extinct species of true bug

Termitaradus mitnicki is an extinct species of true bug in the family Termitaphididae known only from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brachypsectridae</span> Family of beetles

The Brachypsectridae are a family of beetles commonly known as the Texas beetles. There are only two extant genera, Brachypsectra and Asiopsectra. Brachypsectra has a cosmopolitan distribution, mostly in arid regions, while Asiopsectra is found in Central Asia and the Middle East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tessaratomidae</span> 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corimelaeninae</span> Subfamily of true bugs

The Corimelaeninae are a subfamily of shield bugs within the family Thyreocoridae. It has often been treated as a family (e.g.), but the name Thyreocoridae, published in 1843, has nomenclatural priority over Corimelaenidae, published in 1872.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nogodinidae</span> Family of true bugs

Nogodinidae is a family of planthoppers. They have membranous wings with delicate venation and can be confused with members of other Fulgoroid families such as the Issidae and Tropiduchidae. Some authors treat it as a subfamily of the Issidae. Some of their key features are a frons ("face") that is longer than wide and a reticulate wing venation. They are less than 2 cm long. The antenna arises well below the eye, has the base clubbed and flagellum unsegmented. The lateral ocelli are outside the margins of the face. The face has carinae on the edge. On the hind leg, the second tarsal segment has an apical spine arising from it. The tibia of the hind leg also has spines towards the tip. An important family character is found in the shape of the male genital structure, a style that is longer than broad. Most members of this family are forest species.

Termitaradus dominicanus is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from a Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. T. dominicanus is the third species in the genus Termitaradus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber after Termitaradus avitinquilinus and Termitaradus mitnicki.

Termitaradus protera is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from several Late Oligocene to Early Miocene fossils found in Mexico. T. protera is the only species in the extant genus Termitaradus to have been described from fossils found in Mexican amber and is one of four species from new world amber; the others are Termitaradus avitinquilinus, Termitaradus dominicanus and Termitaradus mitnicki. T. protera was also the first termite bug described from the fossil record.

Termitaradus avitinquilinus is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from several possibly Miocene fossils found in the Dominican Republic. T. avitinquilinus is the first species in the genus Termitaradus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of four species from New World amber, the others being Termitaradus protera, Termitaradus dominicanus and Termitaradus mitnicki.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urostylididae</span> Family of true bugs

Urostylididae is a family of true bugs and is considered a basal or "primitive" family within the stink-bug lineage. They are found only in Asia. Older works used the spelling Urostylidae but this clashes with the name used for a protozoan family and a spelling correction (emendation) has been suggested that also avoids the confusion created by homonyms. The family name Urolabididae has also been used for some members in the past.

<i>Acropyga glaesaria</i> Extinct species of ant

Acropyga glaesaria is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Formicinae known from a group of possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. A. glaesaria is the first species of the ant genus Acropyga to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is the one of several species of Acropyga found in the West Indies. As with other members of the genus, A. glaesaria was most likely trophobiotic.

The Thyreocoridae are a family of shield bugs, known by common names that include negro bugs or ebony bugs. Historically, a few authors have called this family "Corimelaenidae" (e.g.), but the name Thyreocoridae, published in 1843, has nomenclatural priority over Corimelaenidae, published in 1872. Other classifications have placed them as a subfamily within the broad family Cydnidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dipsocoridae</span> Family of true bugs

Dipsocoridae are a family of heteropteran bugs known as jumping ground bugs. There are about 30 widely distributed species which are placed in three genera. Fossils from Eocene amber have also been placed in the family.

Canopus is a genus of Neotropical bugs with about six species that form the family Canopidae. Bugs in the family Canopidae are small (5–7 mm) long and have a convex lady-bird beetle like shape and are thought to be fungus feeders. The scutellum completely covers the abdomen and wings. The antennae are five segmented.

References

  1. Poinar, G.; Heiss, E. (2013). "Minysporops dominicanus gen. n., sp. n. (Hemiptera: Pentatomoidea: Megarididae), a megaridid in Dominican amber". Historical Biology. 25 (1): 95–100. doi:10.1080/08912963.2012.695357.
  2. Schwertner, C. F.; Grazia, J. (2015). "Less Diverse Pentatomoid Families (Acanthosomatidae, Canopidae, Dinidoridae, Megarididae, Phloeidae, and Tessaratomidae)". In Panizzi, A.R.; Grazia, J. (eds.). True Bugs (Heteroptera) of the Neotropics, Entomology in Focus 2. Springer. pp. 821–862. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9861-7_25.
  3. Rolston, L H; Mcdonald, F J D (1979). "Keys and Diagnoses for the Families of Western Hemisphere Pentatomoidea, Subfamilies of Pentatomidae and Tribes of Pentatominae (Hemiptera)". Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 87 (3): 189–207.