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Heteroptera

Common name:

True bugs, typical bugs

Distribution:

Every continent except Arctic and Antarctica, especially in the tropics

Habitat:

Terrestrial and aquatic

Diet:

Plant sap, nectar, blood, dried seeds, smaller plant-eating insect

Number of species globally

40,000

Number of species in Hong Kong :

561

Morphology
(how to recognize them) :

-Usually small and flat
-Forewings with two textures, harden at the base and transparent at tips
-Wings are folded flat and forms an X-shaped design at the back
-Have a sucking mouthparts and a hardened gula (a hard bridge that separates the mouthparts)

Diagram

Did you know ?

Heteroptera is a very diverse group. Some curiosities about different groups are:
-Sphaerodema sp. males carry the eggs on their backs until they are hatched.
-Gerris sp. (the water skaters) are able to walk on water due to their long, hydrophobic legs and bristle fringes creating buoyancy for them to float.
-Pentatomidae (stink bugs) are able to eject a jet of stinking liquid to a distance of up to 50 cm.

Gallery

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