Burrowing Bugs

Cydnidae

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Infraorder: Pentatomomorpha
Superfamily: Pentatomoidea
Family: Cydnidae

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Cydnidae: /ˈsɪdnɪdiː/

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

Images

Unbestimmt Käfer 3 by Denis Barthel at German Wikipedia. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

2017 04 01 Microporus nigrita by Slimguy. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Sehirus cinctus P1580297a by
xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Cydnus aterrimus - Flickr - gailhampshire by gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Burrowing Bug - Pangaeus bilineatus, Natchez Trace, near Natchez, Mississippi by Judy Gallagher. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Sehirus cinctus P1130793a by
xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Summary

The Cydnidae family, commonly known as burrowing bugs, includes a group of mostly subterranean species that are important agricultural pests in various regions across the world.

Physical Characteristics

Burrowing bugs range from 2 to 20 mm in length. They are dark, ovoid in shape and highly sclerotised. The head is generally subquadrate to semicircular in shape, and has a pair of 5-segmented antennae. The coxae of the legs have setal combs, while the apices of the mid and hind coxae are fringed with rigid setae. The tibiae of the legs (also often the head and pronotum) have spines. The tarsi of the legs are 3-segmented and often reduced.

Identification Tips

Cydnidae have glands in the thorax (adults) or the lateral part of the abdomen (nymphs) that secrete a foul-smelling mix of chemicals for defense against predators.

Habitat

Most Cydnidae are fossorial (diggers), living in soil. Other members live above the soil layer, often in close association with plants.

Distribution

Throughout North America and worldwide, with ~1200 species across various genera and subfamilies.

Diet

Cydnidae feed on sap from phloem, unlike other heteropterans; most species are root-feeders, while some feed on aboveground plant parts.

Life Cycle

The female lays 30-150 eggs and stays with them until they hatch, nourishing them initially with drops of fluid from her anus that contain gut bacteria.

Reproduction

Reproductive adults emerge from their burrows to mate and subsequently lay eggs in soil.

Ecosystem Role

Cydnidae are important in ecosystems for their role as root feeders, which can impact plant health and, subsequently, the local environment.

Economic Impact

As of 2003, 27 cydnid species were reported as crop pests; notable pests include Pangaeus bilineatus, which feeds on peanuts, and Fromundus pygmaeus, damaging rice and soybeans.

Health Concerns

Some cydnid species can facultatively suck blood from humans, and others can cause skin lesions with their defensive secretions.