Hemiptera 3

Hemiptera (bugs) water bugs
Hemiptera are an order in the phylum Uniramia, Hexapoda or Insecta (depending on which book you read), for more pages on this phylum click the menu below left.

Uniramia

--Centipedes

--Hexapoda 1 (insects)

--Hexapoda 2 (insects)

--Hexapoda 3 (insects)

--Identification to order level

--Insect orders

----Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths)

----Ephemeroptera (mayflies)

----Hemiptera (bugs, cicadas)

----Hymenoptera (bees, ants, wasps & saw flies)

------Bumblebees

----Coleoptera (beetles)

----Dictyoptera (mantids, cockroaches)

----Diptera (true flies)

----Neuroptera (lacewings, ant lions)

----Orthoptera (crickets, locusts)

----Thysanura (bristletails, silver fish)

----Strepsiptera (stylops)

----Thysanoptera (thrips)

----Odonata (dragonflies, damselflies)

----Trichoptera (caddis flies)

----Siphonaptera (fleas)

----Isoptera (termites)

----Phasmida (stick & leaf insects)

----Dermaptera (earwigs)

----Anoplura/siphunculata (sucking lice)

----Mallophaga (biting lice, bird lice)

----Psocoptera (book, bark, dust lice)

----Mecoptera (scorpion flies)

----Collembola (springtail)

----Embioptera (web spinners)

----Plecoptera (stone flies)

----Diplura (bristletails)

----Protura

----Zoraptera

Fast facts about Hemiptera (true bugs)

Have piercing mouthparts, called a rostrum which contains 2 pairs of stylets. The outer pair have serrated edges for piercing, the inner pair form a canal for food to pass up and saliva to pass down. The tip pf the rostrum has receptor cells to assess the suitability of the food source.
Mouthparts usually fold under the body like a clasp knife.
Adults usually have two pairs of wings, the front pair may be partially hardened.
The plant feeders can be serious agricultural pests as they can transmit viral diseases.
Divided into two sub-orders; Heteroptera and Homoptera.
Cuckoo spit is made by a Homopteran bug.
Over 82 000 species worldwide, over 7 000 in Europe, 1 650 in British Isles.

The Hemiptera are divided into 2 sub orders.

Heteroptera	Homoptera
Wings divided into 2 parts, one part being leathery. Includes shield bugs, bedbugs, waterstriders, pond skaters.	Wings entirely membranous or hardened. Includes cicadas, leafhoppers, froghoppers, aphids. All homoptera are plant feeders.

Cuckoo-spit is formed by the young of Cercopis sp. and Philaenus spumarius. The bug secretes fluid from its rear end and turns this into foam by blowing air out of its hind spiracles (paired air holes running down the sides of the insect's body). The foam protects the young insect and stops it from drying out.

Gerris sp, water strider, pond skater
Above a pond skater, Gerris sp., below a close-up of the head showing the piercing/sucking mouthparts.

Gerris head, pondskater head

Water bugs take in a store of air at the surface and keep it beneath their wings when swimming underwater.

The pond skaters, left are in the Gerridae family. There are about 500 species worldwide. They range in length from 0.2 mm - 35 mm. They feed on insects that have fallen into the water using their front legs to grasp their prey, their middle legs to row, and hind legs as rudders. Prey is detected by sight (they have fairly large eyes) and/or vibration. Its feet are surrounded by water-repellent hairs, and these prevent the feet from piercing the water surface. Some pond skaters have fully-formed wings and can fly; others are flightless. In the UK they hibernate on land but near water over winter. Eggs are laid around May.

The water stick insect, Ranatra linearis, right can be around 5 cm long, although its breathing tube tail can take up half this length. It can be found in weedy ponds usually in water less than 1 m deep. It is no relation to the true stick insects which are terrestrial. Adults are active throughout the winter except in extreme cold. Eggs are inserted in plant stems. They are good swimmers and adults can fly. The first pair of legs is used to catch prey.

The water boatmen Notonecta sp. (right) are also known as back-swimmers because they spend most of their time swimming on their back on the underside of the water surface (see the drawing below). They use their forelegs to catch prey, and their hair-fringed hind legs, which are twice as long as the other legs, for swimming rather like oars. If they are put in a tank which is lit from below they will swim normally. The prey is detected by sight and by sensing surface ripples. Some of the larger species can pierce human skin. The adults are strong fliers.

Notonecta glauca is found throughout the UK and is about 1.5 cm long. It is particularly fond of tadpoles and water beetle larvae and other insecs which are detected by sight and vibration. It will also take fish fry, so is considered a pest in trout hatcheries. It has large eyes, and these alsong with the sensitive hairs on its legs make it a fearsome predator.

Mating takes place any time from mid-winter to May. Eggs are laid singly from February onwards in the stems of water plants. Nymphs take around 2 months to mature.

Notonecta in swimming position, backswimmer

The lesser water boatman Corixa sp. (left) swims normally. Fully grown adults range in size from 12 - 16 mm. They are mainly herbivorous. Most adults are good fliers. When underwater the air supply is stored in the space between the wings and the abdomen. They are usually found in still water. Male waterboatmen can stridulate by rubbing their front legs against a ridge on the side of their head. Eggs are laid singly, attached to plants or algae. Nymphs breathe through their skin.

Nepa cinerea nymph, water scorpion nymph

Nepea cinerea, water scorpion

The water scorpion, Nepea cinerea, (see above and right) got its name because of its long tail, but the tail is a breathing tube (actually two tubes stuck together), rather like a snorkel, not a sting. It can be found in weedy, stagnant ponds, shallow lakes, fens and occasionally weedy streams, and tends to lurk around in vegetation waiting for prey to pass within reach. It is dark brown and flat, so well camouflaged and is often mistaken for a dead leaf. When taken out of the water it pretends to be dead, or crawls quickly away. It uses its front legs to catch prey, then sucks out the insides of whatever it has caught, usually other insects, tadpoles or small fish. They are poor swimmers. Adults can fly, but rarely do so. It is about 3.5 cm in length including the tail.

On the left is the nymph which has a much shorter siphon.

The female lays her eggs underwater in the stems of vegetation just below the water surface.

On the left is the water cricket, Velia currens. It is dark brown with 2 orange stripes down the back of adults. In both adults and nymps the underside of the abdomen is orange. It is common on both still and running water. The adult can be winged or wingless. It feeds on insects and other small animals which land on the water surface. The female lays batches of eggs on floating vegetation.

Hydrometridae Family. This is one of the pond skater family. They are found world wide, there are approximately 100 species, and all are thin and stick-like. On the right is Hydrometra stagnorum, the water measurer, water gnat, pond skater, is about 1 cm long. It is found in still water, and feeds on small insects and water fleas. The female lays eggs singly on plants above the water level.

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