Gregarious-behavior
Guides
Bryocorinae
Bryocorinae is a subfamily of plant bugs (Miridae) characterized by extraordinary morphological heterogeneity despite relatively modest species diversity compared to other mirid subfamilies. Five tribes are currently recognized: Bryocorini, Dicyphini, Eccritotarsini, Felisacini, and Monaloniini. The subfamily exhibits diverse feeding strategies, with members ranging from predominantly phytophagous to predacious. Several species, particularly in the genus Macrolophus, are economically important as biological control agents. The subfamily has a global distribution with particular diversity in the Neotropics.
Cirolana
Cirolana is a genus of marine isopod crustaceans in the family Cirolanidae, established by William Elford Leach in 1818. The genus name derives from an anagram of 'Carolina,' originally the French 'Cirolane' for an unknown woman named Caroline. Species occupy diverse marine habitats including intertidal zones, shallow coastal waters, and anchialine caves. The genus exhibits considerable diversity, with species groups such as the 'parva-group' recognized in Indo-Malayan and Australasian waters.
Embiidina
webspinners, footspinners
Embiidina is a small order of cryptic, soft-bodied insects known as webspinners or footspinners, characterized by their unique ability to produce silk from specialized glands located in their swollen foretarsi. They construct extensive silk galleries or tunnels under bark, in leaf litter, or within soil crevices, which serve as protective shelters and foraging sites. The order exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are wingless and neotenic, remaining in galleries throughout their lives, while males of most species develop wings and disperse to locate mates. Webspinners are primarily tropical in distribution and display facultatively communal behavior with maternal care of eggs and young.
Janbechynea
Janbechynea is a genus of leaf beetles in the family Orsodacnidae, containing at least 12 described species distributed in North America. The genus is named in honor of Czech entomologist Jan Bechyně. Adults of at least one species, J. elongata, are specialized herbivores of cycads. The genus is divided into two subgenera: Janbechynea and Bothroscelis.
Neuroctenus
flat bugs
Neuroctenus is a genus of flat bugs in the family Aradidae, subfamily Mezirinae, containing approximately 7 described species. Species in this genus are characterized by their strongly flattened bodies adapted for living under bark and in decaying wood. They are mycophagous, feeding on fungal mycelium, and have been documented in East and Southeast Asia including Taiwan, Hainan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Tibet. Several species have been studied through mitochondrial genome sequencing, revealing close phylogenetic relationships within the genus and placement of Neuroctenus as sister to Mezira within Mezirinae.
Plataspidae
shield bugs, kudzu bugs, plataspid bugs
Plataspidae is a family of shield bugs in the suborder Heteroptera, native to the Old World and primarily found in tropical and subtropical regions. Members are characterized by a greatly enlarged scutellum that covers most or all of the abdomen and wings. The family includes the economically significant pest Megacopta cribraria (kudzu bug), which was introduced to North America in 2009 and has become a major pest of soybean in the southeastern United States. Most species feed on plants, particularly legumes, though some exhibit broader host ranges.
Pseudosphinx tetrio
tetrio sphinx, giant gray sphinx, frangipani hornworm, plumeria caterpillar, Rasta caterpillar
Pseudosphinx tetrio is a sphinx moth (Sphingidae) native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. Its larvae are specialized herbivores of Apocynaceae plants, particularly Allamanda cathartica and Plumeria species. The species exhibits a distinctive chemical ecology strategy: larvae selectively excrete plant-derived compounds rather than sequestering or metabolizing them, enabling them to feed on toxic host plants rich in latex. The caterpillars display aposematic coloration—velvety black with yellow rings and orange-red head and legs—advertising their unpalatability to predators.
Psocodea
bark lice, book lice, parasitic lice, barklice, booklice
Psocodea is an order of insects comprising approximately 11,000 species across three extant suborders: Trogiomorpha, Troctomorpha, and Psocomorpha. The group includes free-living barklice and booklice, as well as the parasitic lice (formerly Phthiraptera). Molecular and morphological evidence demonstrates that parasitic lice evolved from within the barklice lineage, rendering the former order 'Psocoptera' paraphyletic. Members range from 1–10 mm in length and occupy diverse habitats from forest canopies to stored products.
Pyrrhocoris
firebugs, cotton stainers
Pyrrhocoris is a genus of true bugs in the family Pyrrhocoridae, commonly known as firebugs or cotton stainers. The genus contains approximately eight described species, with Pyrrhocoris apterus (the firebug) being the most extensively studied. Species in this genus are primarily distributed across the Palaearctic realm, with some records from North America and East Asia. The genus is notable for its gregarious behavior and has served as an important model organism in studies of insect behavioral ecology, developmental plasticity, and wing polymorphism.