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.
The Lygaeidae are a family in the Hemiptera, with more than 110 genera in four subfamilies. The family is commonly referred to as seed bugs, and less commonly, milkweed bugs, or ground bugs. However, while many of the species feed on seeds, some feed on sap (mucivory) or seed pods, others are omnivores and a few, such as the wekiu bug, are carnivores that feed exclusively on insects. Insects in this family are distributed across the world, including throughout North America. 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.
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).
Arocatus melanocephalus, the elm seed bug, is a true bug in the family Lygaeidae. The species was initially described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1798, and Maximilian Spinola designated it to be the type species of the genus Arocatus in 1837. This bug is native to Europe but has been introduced to North America.
Tempyra is a genus of dirt-colored seed bugs in the family Rhyparochromidae. There are at least two described species in Tempyra.
Oncopeltus sanguinolentus, the blood-colored milkweed bug, is a species of seed bug in the family Lygaeidae. It is found in Central America and North America. The species name is sometimes misspelled with an extra "e", as sanguineolentus.
Oncopeltus is a genus of seed bugs in the family Lygaeidae, which has at least 40 described species in Oncopeltus.
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.
Oncopeltus cayensis is a species of seed bug in the family Lygaeidae. It is found in the Caribbean Sea and North America.
Lygaeus turcicus, the false milkweed bug, is a species of seed bug in the family Lygaeidae. It is found in Eastern North America.
Oncopeltus sexmaculatus, the six-spotted milkweed bug, is a species of seed bug in the family Lygaeidae. It is found on islands in the Caribbean Sea, Central America, and North America.
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.
Ischnorhynchinae is a subfamily of seed bugs in the family Lygaeidae. There are about 16 genera and more than 70 described species in Ischnorhynchinae. The members of this subfamily are small, terrestrial insects that typically translucent or transparent plate-like structures covering the thorax (pronota) and tend to live in plant flowers.
Oncopeltus varicolor is a species of seed bug in the family Lygaeidae, found in North, Central, and South America.
Oncopeltus cingulifer is a species of seed bug in the family Lygaeidae. It is found in North, Central, and South America.
Oncopeltus unifasciatellus is a species of seed bug in the family Lygaeidae, found in the Neotropics.
Oncopeltus famelicus is a species of seed bug in the family Lygaeidae, found in sub-Saharan Africa.
Oncopeltus sordidus is a species of seed bug in the family Lygaeidae, found in Australia.
Oncopeltus sandarachatus is a species of seed bug in the family Lygaeidae, found in North, Central, and South America.
Oncopeltus guttaloides is a species of seed bug in the family Lygaeidae. It is found in the southern Central America and the southern United States. Like other species of Oncopeltus, their nymphs are gregarious and can be found in large clusters on host plants.
