Hemiptera (True Bugs)
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Exopterygotes:
in which the young resemble adults but have externally-developing wings
they undergo a modest change between immature and adult, without going through a pupal stage
the nymphs develop gradually into adults through a process of molting
Hemimetabolous
Hemiptera (Bugs)
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Homoptera:
Include aphids, scale insects, leaf hoppers and cicadas
Feed on plant juice, thus they are not of public/veterinary importance
But, very important agricultural pests
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Heteroptera:
The true bugs have forewings that are hardened at the base and membranous at the tips.
They sit flat over the abdomen hiding the membranous hind wings.
The head and proboscis can flex forward.
Most suck plant juices, many are predatory, using their mouthparts to suck body fluids of smaller arthropods
Some quite cannibalism (trypanosomatids as prey)
Mouthparts & Feeding
Both homopterans & heteropterans have similar basic mouthparts (regardless feed on plant or animal juices)
The proboscis of hemipterans contains cutting blades and a two-channelled tube.
Hemipterans feed by cutting into a plant or animal and sending saliva down one of the tubes to begin digestion.
The liquid food is then sucked up the other tube.
1. Family Cimicidae
Small, wingless bugs that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals (birds and bats)
Cimex lectularius – cosmopolitan, temperate zones
Cimex hemipterus – more tropical
Leptocimex boueti – West Africa
Bed bugs (Cimicids)
Not known to transmit any human disease, but they are extremely annoying
Chronically infested by bed bugs:
loss of sleep
sores from the infected bites
iron & Hb deficiencies
mechanical transmission of Hep-B virus (rarely)
Reddish brown bug, 8mm long, flattened dorsoventrally
Family Reduviidae
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Assassin bugs – predators on other insects
Reeduvius personatus – enter houses and feed on bed bugs
Their bite is painful (can but usually do not bite humans)
Triatominae (subfamily) – great public health (vector for T. cruzi, causative agent for Chagas’ disease)
Feed on blood (suck for several minutes unnoticed by host)
Kissing bugs (bite lips of sleeping persons)
Large bugs (34mm), usually have wings, narrow head and large eyes located far back on the sides of the head
Other name – cone-nosed bugs