Placing the two former Orders into one has made this one of the most diverse Orders in Class Insecta. The decision to place all these insects into one Order was based on their mouthparts (piercingsucking, previously discussed). There is a difference though, some Hemiptera have mouthparts that arise either from the front of the head (Heteroptera) or from the back of the head Figure 42: Flow chart describing the revision of orders Hemiptera and Homoptera (Auchenorrhyncha and Sternorrhyncha). Where the mouthparts originate was the artificial division of Hemiptera and Homoptera prior to them being merged into one Order. Lygaeidae (Seed Bugs) Monarch Butterflies (our State insect) are not the only reason to plant milkweeds in your garden. If you are extremely lucky, your milkweeds will support a colony of milkweed bugs (Figure 43). The beautiful orange and black milkweed bugs (there is more than one species) are members of the family Lygaeidae, and they will feed on the juices of your milkweeds. As you might guess, an orange and black colored milkweed feeder is a Figure 43: Milkweed bug distasteful meal for most predators – just like another orange and black, bad tasting insect – Monarchs. The Lygaeidae used to be huge family, but recent taxonomic shifts have split it into ten families leaving the Lygaeidae with about 75 species in North America. Water Bugs (Multiple Familes) The families Belostomatidae and Gerridae are two of many families of Hemiptera associated with water in Idaho (Figure 44).
Entomology
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