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.
The Heteroptera are a group of about 40,000 species of insects in the order Hemiptera. They are sometimes called "true bugs", though that name more commonly refers to the Hemiptera as a whole. "Typical bugs" might be used as a more unequivocal alternative, since the heteropterans are most consistently and universally termed "bugs" among the Hemiptera. "Heteroptera" is Greek for "different wings": most species have forewings with both membranous and hardened portions ; members of the primitive sub-group Enicocephalomorpha have completely membranous wings.
Aquatic insects or water insects live some portion of their life cycle in the water. They feed in the same ways as other insects. Some diving insects, such as predatory diving beetles, can hunt for food underwater where land-living insects cannot compete.
The Gerridae are a family of insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water striders, water skeeters, water scooters, water bugs, pond skaters, water skippers, water gliders, water skimmers or puddle flies. Consistent with the classification of the Gerridae as true bugs, gerrids have mouthparts evolved for piercing and sucking, and distinguish themselves by having the unusual ability to walk on water, making them pleuston (surface-living) animals. They are anatomically built to transfer their weight to be able to run on top of the water's surface. As a result, one could likely find water striders present in any pond, river, or lake. Over 1,700 species of gerrids have been described, 10% of them being marine.
Corixidae is a family of aquatic insects in the order Hemiptera. They are found worldwide in virtually any freshwater habitat and a few species live in saline water. There are about 500 known species worldwide, in 55 genera, including the genus Sigara.
Nepidae is a family of exclusively aquatic Heteropteran insects in the order Hemiptera. They are commonly called water scorpions for their superficial resemblance to scorpions, due to their raptorial forelegs and the presence of a long slender process at the posterior end of the abdomen, resembling a tail. There are 14 genera in the family, in two subfamilies, Nepinae and Ranatrinae. Members of the genus Ranatra, the most widespread and species-rich genus, are sometimes called needle bugs or water stick insects as they are slenderer than Nepa.
Notonectidae is a cosmopolitan family of aquatic insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly called backswimmers because they swim "upside down" (inverted). They are all predators and typically range from 0.5 to 1.5 cm (0.2–0.6 in) in length. They are similar in appearance to Corixidae, but can be separated by differences in their dorsal-ventral coloration, front legs, and predatory behavior. Their dorsum is convex, lightly colored without cross striations. Their front tarsi are not scoop-shaped and their hind legs are fringed for swimming. There are about 350 species in two subfamilies: Notonectinae with seven genera, and Anisopinae with four genera. Members in the former subfamily are often larger than those in the latter.
Belostomatidae is a family of freshwater hemipteran insects known as giant water bugs or colloquially as toe-biters, Indian toe-biters, electric-light bugs, alligator ticks, or alligator fleas. They are the largest insects in the order Hemiptera. There are about 170 species found in freshwater habitats worldwide, with more than 110 in the Neotropics, more than 20 in Africa, almost as many in the Nearctic, and far fewer elsewhere. These predators are typically encountered in freshwater ponds, marshes and slow-flowing streams. Most species are at least 2 cm (0.8 in) long, although smaller species, down to 0.9 cm (0.35 in), also exist. The largest are members of the genus Lethocerus, which can exceed 12 cm (4.5 in) and nearly reach the length of some of the largest beetles in the world. Giant water bugs are a popular food in parts of Asia.
Ranatra is a genus of slender predatory insects of the family Nepidae, known as water scorpions or water stick-insects. There are around 100 Ranatra species found in freshwater habitats around the world, both in warm and temperate regions, with the highest diversity in South America and Asia. Fewer are found elsewhere, but include several African, some in North America, three from Australia and three from the Palearctic, notably the relatively well-known European R. linearis. Since Ranatra belongs to the family Nepidae which in turn belongs to the order Hemiptera, ranatrids are considered "true bugs".
Lethocerus deyrollei is a species of giant water bug that traditionally is included in the genus Lethocerus, although recent authorities place it in the monotypic Kirkaldyia. They are large, predatory and nocturnal insects. They are one of the best known giant water bugs and are found in Japan, Korea, east China, east Indochina and the Amur region of Russia. They are very common in much of their range, but have declined drastically in some regions and are considered threatened in Japan and Korea. They live in still waters with vegetation, hatching in the summer months and then overwintering half a year later as adults. They primarily feed on small fish, amphibians and aquatic insects, but have also been recorded taking water snakes and young turtles.
Pleidae, the pygmy backswimmers, is a family of aquatic insects in the order Hemiptera. There are 37 species in three genera, distributed across most of the world, except the polar regions and remote oceanic islands.
Water treaders, the superfamily Mesovelioidea, are insects in the order Hemiptera, the true bugs. They are semiaquatic insects that live in moist and wet habitat and on wet plant matter in several types of aquatic habitat.
Ranatra fusca is a water stick-insect in the family Nepidae, native to North America. It is known by the common name brown water scorpion. It is generally 3.2–4.2 cm (1.3–1.7 in) long. They are carnivorous and feed on other insects and crustaceans. They are most common from spring to autumn.
Lethocerus is a genus of the hemipteran family Belostomatidae, known colloquially as giant water bugs, toe biters and electric light bugs, distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate areas of the world. The greatest diversity of species occurs in the Americas, with only a single species in Europe, two in Africa, two in Australia and three in Asia. It includes the largest true bugs with species capable of reaching a length of over 12 centimetres (4.7 in). The South American L. grandis and L. maximus are the only species to commonly exceed 9 cm (3.5 in), with more typical lengths for the remaining species being between 4.5 and 9 cm. Lethocerus sp. are distinguished from other genera in the Lethocerinae by two symmetrical furrows in the inner pad of setae on the fore femur, the external borders of parasternites II and III narrowed and nearly straight, and with the setae of the tarsomeres following the line of the tibial setae.
Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1879.
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.
Curicta is a genus of waterscorpions in the family Nepidae native to freshwater habitats in the Americas. There are more than 15 species, with most restricted to South America. There are only two species in the United States: C. pronotata and C. scorpio.
Cercotmetus is a genus of water bugs in the subfamily Ranatrinae. The recorded distribution of this genus is from is from mainland Asia to New Guinea and northern Australia.
Ranatra montezuma is a species of waterscorpion in the family Nepidae. It is endemic to Montezuma Well in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States.
