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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Unique-headed Bugs (Enicocephalidae)

Family Enicocephalidae - Unique-headed Bugs

Classification · Other Common Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
tiny insect - Systelloderes - male tiny insect - Systelloderes help with i.d. please - Systelloderes help with i.d. please - Systelloderes Systelloderes sp., Enicocephalidae - Unique-headed Bug - Systelloderes Systelloderes sp., Enicocephalidae - Unique-headed Bug - Systelloderes Systelloderes sp., Enicocephalidae - Unique-headed Bug - Systelloderes
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Family Enicocephalidae (Unique-headed Bugs)
Other Common Names
Gnat Bugs
Numbers
11 species in 6 genera in North America (nearctica.com)
about 130 species worldwide (Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica online)
Arnett lists ten species in five genera (1).
Size
2-5 mm
Identification
slender body with unusual elongated head constricted behind eyes and at base; ocelli present; antennae and beak 4-segmented; forewings entirely membranous; front femora and tarsi thickened; middle and hind tarsi 2-segmented
Range
New England to Florida, west to Utah and Arizona (Eric Eaton)
represented throughout the world
Habitat
under leaf litter, rocks, bark
Food
Predacious (1).
Life Cycle
Some species form swarms in sunny patches in woodland, resembling the behavior of midges (2).
Remarks
uncommon insects, rarely encountered and easily overlooked
Print References
Arnett, p. 264 (1)
Slater, pp. 117-118, figs. 210-212 (2)
Internet References
live adult image and literature references (David Maddison, Arizona, Tree of Life)
live adult image and info on family (Museums of Cape Town, South Africa)
pinned adult images of 3 species (Landcare Research, New Zealand)
information article (Encyclopedia Britannica online)
information article (Wikipedia)
list of 25 worldwide genera (Tree of Life)
occurrence in Wisconsin 1 species: Systelloderes biceps (U. of Wisconsin)
drawing of adult and other info (Cornell College, Iowa)
Works Cited
1.American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
By Ross H. Arnett
2.How to Know the True Bugs
By Slater, James A., and Baranowski, Richard M.
Contributed by Robin McLeod on 30 July, 2005 - 11:21pm
Additional contributions by cotinis
Last updated 26 August, 2006 - 9:07am

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