Largidae
Guides
Arhaphe
bordered plant bugs
Arhaphe is a genus of bordered plant bugs in the family Largidae, comprising 26 described species. The genus is notable among hemipterans for possessing a sound-producing stridulitrum, where the hind femur is rubbed against the costal margin of the forewings. Four species occur in the United States: A. arguta, A. breviata, A. carolina, and A. mimetica. The genus has been proposed as a potential model for ecological evolutionary developmental biology studies of insect-microbe symbiosis.
Arhaphe breviata
Arhaphe breviata is a true bug species in the family Largidae, described by Barber in 1924. It is one of four recognized Arhaphe species occurring in the United States, distinguished from congeners by morphological characteristics detailed in taxonomic keys. The species belongs to the subfamily Larginae and tribe Araphini.
Arhaphe mimetica
Arhaphe mimetica is a largid bug (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Largidae) occurring in the United States. Originally described as Japetus mimeticus in 1911, the species was later transferred to Pararhaphe before being restored to Arhaphe. A lectotype was designated in a 2011 taxonomic revision. It is one of four recognized Arhaphe species in the United States north of Mexico.
Largus
bordered plant bugs
Largus is a genus of true bugs in the family Largidae, commonly known as bordered plant bugs. Adults are relatively large (13–17 mm), predominantly black with orange marginal markings. Nymphs are strikingly colored metallic blue-black with a central red spot. The genus occurs across much of North America with greatest diversity in the southwestern United States. These insects are generalist herbivores that occasionally feed on carrion and fecal material.
Largus californicus
California bordered plant bug
Largus californicus, commonly known as the California bordered plant bug, is a true bug in the family Largidae. Adults are black with orange marginal markings on the thorax and abdomen, measuring approximately 25 mm in length. Nymphs are metallic blue with a distinctive red spot at the base of the abdomen, often forming large aggregations of 100 or more individuals. The species occurs in western North America and parts of Central America, with two generations annually in coastal southern California.
Largus cinctus
bordered plant bug
Largus cinctus is a bordered plant bug in the family Largidae, distributed across Central, North, and South America. Adults are recognized by the characteristic orange border on the shield behind the head and outlining the abdomen. Nymphs are metallic blue with a central red spot. The species is a generalist feeder on plant juices and is sometimes confused with stink bugs or leaf-footed bugs.
Largus davisi
bordered plant bug
Largus davisi is a species of bordered plant bug in the family Largidae, described by Barber in 1914. It is native to North America and belongs to a genus characterized by striking coloration: adults are typically black with orange or red marginal markings, while nymphs display metallic blue bodies with a central red spot. Like other Largus species, it is a generalist feeder on plant material.
Largus maculatus
Mexican Bordered Plant Bug
Largus maculatus is a bordered plant bug in the family Largidae, commonly known as the Mexican Bordered Plant Bug. It is found in Central America and North America. The species belongs to a genus whose members are often mistaken for stink bugs (Pentatomidae) or leaf-footed bugs (Coreidae) due to similar body shapes and color patterns. Nymphs of related Largus species display distinctive metallic blue coloration with a red dorsal spot, while adults typically show black bodies with orange or red marginal markings.
Largus maculiventris
bordered plant bug
Largus maculiventris is a species of bordered plant bug in the family Largidae. Like other members of the genus Largus, adults are typically black with orange or red marginal markings and variable orange speckling. The nymphs are metallic blue with a central red spot on the dorsum. The species was described by Schmidt in 1931. As with congeners, it is a generalist feeder on plant material and has been observed in aggregations.
Largus sculptilis
bordered plant bug
Largus sculptilis is a true bug in the family Largidae, commonly known as a bordered plant bug. Like other members of the genus Largus, adults are black with orange or red trim along the margins of the body. Nymphs display striking aposematic coloration: metallic blue-black with a prominent scarlet dot on the dorsal midline. The species occurs in western North America and Middle America. Adults are flightless and can be confused with stink bugs (Pentatomidae), leaf-footed bugs (Coreidae), or cotton strainers (Pyrrhocoridae).
Largus semipletus
bordered plant bug
Largus semipletus is a bordered plant bug in the family Largidae, described by Bliven in 1959. Like other members of the genus Largus, adults are relatively large true bugs (13-17 mm) with black bodies and orange markings. The species is part of a taxonomically complex genus with ongoing debate about species boundaries based on color pattern and geography. It is native to North America with distribution records in the western United States.
Largus succinctus
Largus bug, bordered plant bug, red bug, Eastern Bordered Plant Bug
Largus succinctus is a true bug in the family Largidae, commonly called the Eastern Bordered Plant Bug. Adults measure 13–17 mm and display black bodies with orange marginal markings. Nymphs are strikingly different: metallic blue-black with a central bright red spot. The species is the sole eastern North American representative of its genus, ranging from New York to Florida and west to Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Colorado. It is a generalist plant feeder with two generations annually.
Stenomacra
bordered plant bugs
Stenomacra is a genus of bordered plant bugs in the family Largidae, established by Stål in 1870. The genus contains at least eight described species distributed primarily in the Americas, with records from the southwestern United States through Central America to South America, including Ecuador and Panama. Species in this genus are associated with vegetation, particularly flowering plants, and have been observed feeding on plant sap and honeydew. Some species have been studied for their mating behavior and ecological roles in agroecosystems.
Stenomacra marginella
bordered plant bug
Stenomacra marginella is a bordered plant bug in the family Largidae, found across the Americas from North America through Central America to South America. The species has been documented feeding on various plants including Seep Willow (Baccharis salicifolia) and Mexican sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia). Research has examined male copulatory behavior and its effects on reproduction. The species serves as a host for parasitoids and has been observed in high abundance in riparian habitats.