plant bugs

(Family Miridae)

Overview
plant bug (Family Miridae)
Photo by Alfredo Colon
 

Miridae is the family that includes jumping tree bugs, leaf bugs, and plant bugs. It is the largest family of true bugs (Order Hemiptera). There are more than 10,000 described species in about 1,300 genera worldwide, almost 2,000 species in 233 genera in North America north of Mexico, and about 210 species in Minnesota (CCESR). They occur on every continent except Greenland and Antarctica. Nearly all species feed on plants. Some are serious agricultural pests.

 
           
 
Description
 
 

Miridae are soft-bodied, oval or elongated, and small, most less than ½ (12 mm) in length. They have two large compound eyes and no simple eyes (ocelli). The elongated beak-like projection containing the mouth parts (rostrum) has 4 segments. The last part of the leg (tarsus), corresponding to the foot, has 3 segments. On almost all species the forewing has a membranous tip with 2 closed cells, and the thickened part of the forewing (corium) has a hardened, triangular tip (cuneus).

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

24, 27, 29, 30, 82.

 
  12/23/2022      
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Order

Hemiptera (true bugs, hoppers, aphids, and allies)  
 

Suborder

Heteroptera (true bugs)  
 

Infraorder

Cimicomorpha (cimicomorph bugs)  
 

Superfamily

Miroidea  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

Subfamily Bryocorinae

Subfamily Cylapinae

Subfamily Deraeocorinae

Subfamily Isometopinae (jumping tree bugs)

Subfamily Mirinae

Subfamily Orthotylinae

Subfamily Phylinae

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Capsidae

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

plant bugs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Corium

The thickened basal portion of the front wing that lies between the clavus and the membrane of insects in the family Hemiptera. Plural: coria.

 

Cuneus

The triangular, hardened, horn-like tip of the forewing of a plant bug (family Miridae).

 

Ocellus

Simple eye; an eye with a single lens. Plural: ocelli.

 

Rostrum

The stiff, beak-like projection of the carapace or prolongation of the head of an insect, crustacean, or cetacean.

 

Tarsus

On insects, the last two to five subdivisions of the leg, attached to the tibia; the foot. On spiders, the last segment of the leg. Plural: tarsi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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Alfredo Colon

 
    plant bug (Family Miridae)      
           
    plant bug (Family Miridae)   plant bug (Family Miridae)  
           
    plant bug (Family Miridae)   plant bug (Family Miridae)  
           
    plant bug (Family Miridae)   plant bug (Family Miridae)  
           
 
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Other Videos
 
  Miridae bug
Pieter Bruin
 
   
 
About

May 15, 2020

An 8mm long Miridae bug from my garden. Note the two black spots on it thorax by which it simulates to be a much larger insect, discouraging certain pretators.

 

 

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Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this insect.

 
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  Alfredo Colon
8/10/2022

Location: Albany, NY

plant bug (Family Miridae)  
  Alfredo Colon
8/5/2019

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

plant bug (Family Miridae)  
  Alfredo Colon
8/4/2019

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

plant bug (Family Miridae)  
  Alfredo Colon
7/15/2018

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

plant bug (Family Miridae)  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

 

 

 

 

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Created: 1/18/2019

Last Updated:

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