Cydnidae
Guides
Amnestus pallidus
pallid burrowing bug
Amnestus pallidus is a burrowing bug species in the family Cydnidae, characterized by its subterranean lifestyle and association with soil habitats. The species occurs across Central America and North America, with documented records from the United States including Vermont. As a member of the burrowing bug family, it possesses morphological adaptations for digging and is typically found in contact with soil or ground-level vegetation. The species was described by Zimmer in 1910 and remains relatively poorly known in terms of detailed natural history.
Amnestus pusillus
Amnestus pusillus is a species of burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, characterized by fossorial (burrowing) habits typical of this group. The species is distributed across the Caribbean, Central America, and North America. As a member of the burrowing bug family, it likely inhabits soil-associated environments, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented in published literature.
Amnestus spinifrons
burrowing bug
Amnestus spinifrons is a species of burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, first described by Thomas Say in 1825. It belongs to the genus Amnestus, which comprises burrowing bugs that live in soil and are associated with plant roots. The species is known from North America. Burrowing bugs in this family are characterized by fossorial (digging) adaptations and are often found in association with host plants.
Chilocoris
burrower bugs
Chilocoris is a genus of burrower bugs (family Cydnidae) in the order Hemiptera. The genus has an Afrotropical distribution, with species recorded in South Africa, Gabon, and Guinea-Bissau. Some species exhibit trogloxenic behavior, occurring in caves but not restricted to them. At least one species, Chilocoris capensis, has been collected in association with fallen figs of Ficus sur.
Cydninae
burrower bugs, burrowing bugs
Cydninae is the largest and most diverse subfamily of burrower bugs (family Cydnidae), comprising approximately 11 genera and at least 40 described species worldwide. Members are characterized by their subterranean lifestyle and burrowing adaptations. The subfamily includes two recognized tribes, Cydnini and Geotomini. Several species are considered agricultural pests due to their feeding habits on crop plants and seeds.
Cydnini
Cydnini is a tribe of burrowing bugs within the subfamily Cydninae (family Cydnidae). Members are small to medium-sized true bugs adapted for fossorial life, with fossorial legs modified for digging. The tribe contains multiple genera and is distinguished from related tribes by genitalic and leg structure. These insects are primarily soil-dwelling and often associated with plant roots.
Cydnus
Cydnus is a genus of burrower bugs (Hemiptera: Cydnidae) in the tribe Cydnini, subfamily Cydninae. The genus was established by Fabricius in 1803 and is characterized by morphological features including pegs on head margins, hair-like setae on pronotum lateral margins, an anterior submarginal impressed line on the pronotum, and a triangular scutellum broader than long. The fossil genus Eocenocydnus shows affinity to Cydnus based on shared morphological traits.
Cydnus aterrimus
Black burrowing bug
Cydnus aterrimus is a species of burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, commonly known as the Black burrowing bug. The species has a notably broad geographic distribution spanning multiple continents including the Caribbean, Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), North America, and Southern Asia. As a member of the burrowing bug family, it is adapted for fossorial (burrowing) habits, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented in available literature.
Cyrtomenus ciliatus
Cyrtomenus ciliatus is a species of burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, native to North America. Like other members of this family, it is adapted for a fossorial lifestyle, living and feeding underground. The species was first described by Palisot in 1818.
Cyrtomenus crassus
burrowing bug
Cyrtomenus crassus is a species of burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, first described by Walker in 1867. As a member of the burrowing bug family, it is adapted to fossorial life in soil and associated substrates. The species has a broad geographic distribution spanning the Caribbean, Central America, and North America.
Dallasiellus
burrowing bugs
Dallasiellus is a genus of burrowing bugs (family Cydnidae) containing approximately 18 described species. These insects are characterized by their fossorial (burrowing) habits and are classified within the true bugs (Hemiptera). The genus was established by Berg in 1901. Members of this genus are part of the diverse Cydnidae family, which is known for species that live in soil and often feed on plant roots.
Dallasiellus californicus
Dallasiellus californicus is a burrowing bug species in the family Cydnidae, first described by Blatchley in 1929. It is distributed across North America and Middle America. The genus Dallasiellus belongs to the burrowing bug family Cydnidae, a group of true bugs adapted for digging in soil and associated with plant roots.
Dallasiellus lugubris
Dallasiellus lugubris is a species of burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, first described by Stål in 1860. As a member of this family, it possesses the characteristic adaptations for fossorial (burrowing) life that distinguish cydnids from other true bugs. The species has a broad geographic distribution spanning the Caribbean, Central America, North America, and South America, with records from multiple Brazilian states including Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rio de Janeiro, Rondônia, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo.
Dallasiellus vanduzeei
Dallasiellus vanduzeei is a species of burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, first described by Froeschner in 1960. The genus Dallasiellus is part of the diverse burrowing bug assemblage, characterized by their fossorial (digging) habits and association with soil and root habitats. As a member of the Cydnidae, this species likely exhibits the family's typical morphology with a compact, somewhat flattened body form adapted for subterranean life.
Melanaethus
Melanaethus is a genus of burrowing true bugs in the family Cydnidae, established by Uhler in 1876. The genus contains approximately 12–15 described species. Members are characterized by fossorial (burrowing) adaptations typical of the family. At least one species, Melanaethus crenatus, has been documented with detailed immature stages and seed-related behaviors.
Melanaethus anthracinus
Melanaethus anthracinus is a burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, described by Uhler in 1877. It occurs in North America and Middle America. Members of this genus are generally associated with soil habitats and subterranean feeding habits.
Melanaethus crenatus
Melanaethus crenatus is a burrower bug (Hemiptera: Cydnidae) described by Signoret in 1883. The species exhibits distinctive maternal behavior in which females carry seeds to oviposition sites, a trait documented in a detailed study of its immature stages. The egg and five nymphal instars have been formally described.
Melanaethus robustus
Melanaethus robustus is a species of burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, first described by Uhler in 1877. As a member of the burrowing bug family, it possesses adaptations for subterranean life, including fossorial legs. The species is known from North America, though specific details of its biology and ecology remain poorly documented in the available literature.
Melanaethus subglaber
A burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, first described by Walker in 1867. Records indicate presence across the Americas, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented. The genus Melanaethus contains species associated with soil-dwelling habits.
Melanaethus uhleri
Melanaethus uhleri is a species of burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, order Hemiptera. The genus Melanaethus belongs to the burrowing bug family Cydnidae, a group of true bugs adapted for digging in soil and associated with roots of plants. Species in this genus are typically found in the Nearctic region. As with other cydnids, M. uhleri likely exhibits subterranean habits and feeds on plant roots, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented in the accessible literature.
Microporus nigrita
Microporus nigrita is a species of burrower bug in the family Cydnidae, order Hemiptera. The species was described by Fabricius in 1794 and is known from scattered records across northern Europe including Belgium, Norway, and Sweden. As a member of the burrower bug family, it is associated with soil habitats. The genus Microporus is characterized by small body size among cydnids.
Microporus obliquus
Microporus obliquus is a burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, first described by Uhler in 1872. It belongs to the true bugs (Hemiptera), a group characterized by piercing-sucking mouthparts. The species is found in Central America and North America, though detailed biological information remains limited.
Pangaeus
burrower bugs
Pangaeus is a genus of burrower bugs in the family Cydnidae (Hemiptera), comprising approximately 14 described species. Members are fossorial insects adapted for subterranean life, with species distributed across the Americas. The genus includes significant agricultural pests, most notably P. bilineatus, which damages peanut crops in the southeastern United States. Species exhibit morphological adaptations for burrowing, including stout, spiny forelegs.
Pangaeus bilineatus
peanut burrower bug, Two-lined Burrowing Bug
Pangaeus bilineatus, commonly known as the peanut burrower bug, is a soil-dwelling true bug in the family Cydnidae. It is a major agricultural pest of peanut crops in the southeastern United States, where it causes significant economic damage by feeding underground on developing peanut kernels. The species exhibits a single generation per year in most regions, with adults entering diapause in soil during winter months. Its subterranean lifestyle renders conventional foliar pesticide applications ineffective, necessitating specialized integrated pest management approaches.
Pangaeus tuberculipes
Pangaeus tuberculipes is a burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, described by Froeschner in 1960. Like other members of its genus, it is a soil-associated true bug with fossorial (burrowing) habits. The species is known from limited observations in North and Middle America.
Rhytidoporus
Rhytidoporus is a genus of burrowing bugs established by Uhler in 1877. The genus contains three described species: R. barberi, R. compactus, and R. indentatus. Members of this genus belong to the family Cydnidae, a group of true bugs adapted for fossorial life.
Rhytidoporus indentatus
Rhytidoporus indentatus is a species of burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, first described by Uhler in 1877. As a member of Cydnidae, it possesses fossorial adaptations for subterranean life. The species has been documented across three distinct biogeographic regions: the Caribbean, North America, and Oceania, with confirmed presence in Hawaii.
Scaptocoris
burrowing bugs, burrower bugs
Scaptocoris is a genus of burrowing bugs in the family Cydnidae, currently containing at least seven described species in the Neotropical region. Species in this genus are economically important soil-borne pests that feed on plant roots using piercing-sucking mouthparts. They exhibit distinctive behavioral adaptations including vertical migration in soil in response to moisture availability and flight dispersal during rainy periods. The genus has been documented attacking crops including soybean, cotton, corn, rice, and various pasture grasses across South America.
Scaptocoris castaneus
Scaptocoris castaneus is a burrowing bug species in the family Cydnidae, characterized by fossorial adaptations for subterranean life. The species occurs across North and South America. As a member of the burrowing bug family, it possesses morphological specializations for digging and subterranean existence.
Sehirus cinctus
white-margined burrower bug, white-margined burrowing bug
Sehirus cinctus is a true bug in the family Cydnidae known for its unusual subsocial behavior. Females deposit 120–150 eggs in shallow burrows and guard them until hatching. After emergence, mothers provision nymphs with food for 1–3 days before the young disperse to forage independently. This species has been documented feeding on plants in the Urticaceae (nettle) and Lamiaceae (mint) families, and has been observed associating with honey bees.
Tominotus communis
burrowing bug
Tominotus communis is a species of burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae. It occurs across a broad geographic range spanning the Caribbean, Central America, and North America. As a member of Cydnidae, it possesses the fossorial adaptations characteristic of this family, including enlarged forelegs modified for digging.
Tominotus unisetosus
burrowing bug
Tominotus unisetosus is a species of burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae, first described by Froeschner in 1960. As a member of the burrowing bug family, it is adapted for fossorial life in soil or leaf litter. The species occurs in both Central America and North America.