Thaumastocoridae

Definition

A small family of true bugs (Hemiptera) comprising approximately nine genera and more than twenty described species. Members of this family are distinguished by their compact, often somewhat flattened body form and are found primarily in tropical and subtropical regions. The family was established by George Willis Kirkaldy in 1908.

Etymology

From Greek thaumastos (wonderful, marvelous) + koros (bug), with the family suffix -idae; coined by Kirkaldy in 1908.

Example

The Australian genus Baclozygum contains xylophagous species that feed on the bark of Eucalyptus, representing one of the better-studied thaumastocorid lineages.

Related Terms

• Hemiptera
• Heteroptera
• Cimicomorpha
• true bugs
• xylophagy
• Kirkaldy

Usage Notes

Thaumastocoridae is sometimes grouped within the infraorder Cimicomorpha, though its exact phylogenetic placement among hemipteran families has been debated. The family is relatively obscure compared to larger hemipteran families such as Miridae or Pentatomidae. Species are typically collected from bark or dead wood, and some exhibit specialized feeding habits associated with plant tissues. The family is not to be confused with the superficially similar but unrelated family Thaumastellidae (a small African family of lygaeoid bugs).