Plant Bugs

Miridae

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Infraorder: Cimicomorpha
Superfamily: Miroidea
Family: Miridae

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Miridae: /ˈmɪrɪˌdeɪ/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Engytatus modestus on tomato plant by sanjay_ach. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Engytatus modestus Side View by Sanjay Acharya. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Campyloneura virgula 140613089 by Victor Heng. Used under a CC0 license.

Campyloneura virgula, female (dkrb)-dorsal by Drahkrub. Attribution must include the URL http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benutzer:Drahkrub.. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

20170611 Macrolophus pygmeus Lohja Finland Petro Pynnönen by Petro Pynnönen. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Campyloneura virgula 142299901 by Michel Langeveld. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Summary

Miridae is the largest family of true bugs, with over 10,000 species known. They are primarily plant feeders, with many species impacting agriculture but some serving beneficial roles. They are small, diverse insects often found on various plants.

Physical Characteristics

Small, terrestrial insects, usually oval-shaped or elongate, measuring less than 12 mm in length. Many exhibit a hunched appearance due to the prothorax shape. Lack ocelli. Four-segmented rostrum. Presence of cuneus (triangular tip of forewing) is a distinguishing feature.

Identification Tips

Presence of cuneus; tarsi almost always have three segments.

Habitat

Terrestrial; commonly found on various plants as they feed on plant sap.

Distribution

Cosmopolitan; over 10,000 described species worldwide.