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Family Miridae - Plant Bugs

Species Lygus lineolaris - Tarnished Plant Bug - Lygus lineolaris Plant Bug Conk bug - Fulvius slateri Mirid - Orthotylus ute Plant Bug - Neolygus vitticollis Strange little bug Plant Bug - Plagiognathus politus Lopidea? - Lopidea
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Family Miridae (Plant Bugs)
Numbers
1,930 species in 223 genera in United States and Canada (1)
Size
adult body length 2-15 mm
Identification
The unique characteristic that defines mirids is specialized setae called trichobothria diposed on the middle and hind femora. Other characteristics are the lack of ocelli and the possession of cuneus. However, these two characteristics are not unique to mirids since the mirids in subfamily Isometopinae have ocelli, and some other heteropterans such as bed bugs also have cuneus. (WonGun Kim)

Other defining characteristics include a crease (the cuneus) about two-thirds of the way down the front wing (the main defining characteristic), usually long, thin antennae (Lygaeids and Coreids usually have shorter, thicker antennae), and slender, delicate legs [this list paraphrased from a comment by Eric Eaton].
Food
Some members of the family are plant feeders; others are predatory.
Remarks
Family MIRIDAE
Subfamily Bryocorinae
Tribe Bryocorini
Genera Monalocoris

Tribe Dicyphini
Genera Campyloneura, Cyrtopeltis, Dicyphus, Engytatus, Macrolophus, Miomonalonion, Nesidocoris, Tupiocoris, Usingerella

Tribe Eccritotarsini
Genera Caulotops, Cyrtocapsus, Halticotoma, Hesperolabops, Pycnoderes, Pycnoderella, Sixeonotopsis, Sixeonotus, Sysinas


Subfamily Cylapinae
Genera Cylapus, Fulvius, Peritropis


Subfamily Deraeocorinae
Tribe Clivinemini
Genera Bothynotus, Clivinema, Largidea

Tribe Deraeocorini
Genera Conocephalocoris, Deraeocapsus, Deraeocoris, Diplozona, Eurychilopterella, Hesperophylum, Klopicoris, Strobilocapsus

Tribe Hyaliodini
Genera Hyaliodes, Paracarniella, Stethoconus

Tribe Surinamelini
Genera Eustictus


Subfamily Isometopinae
Genus Corticoris, Diphleps, Lidopus, Myiomma, Wetmorea


Subfamily Mirinae
Tribe Herdoniini
Genera Barberiella, Closterocoris, Cyphopelta, Dacerla, Heidemanniella, Mexicomiris, Paradacerla, Paraxenetus

Tribe Mirini
Genera Adelphocoris, Agnocoris, Allorhinocoris, Bolteria, Calocoris, Camptozygum, Capsus, Closterotomus, Coccobaphes, Creontiades, Dagbertus, Derophthalma, Dichrooscytus, Ectopiocerus, Ganocapsus, Garganus, Gracilimiris, Henrylygus, Irbisia, Knightomiris, Lampethusa, Lygidea, Lygocoris, Lygus, Metriorrhynchomiris, Monalocorisca, Neoborella, Neoborops, Neocapsus, Neolygus, Neurocolpus, Nonlygus, Notholopisca, Orthops, Pachypeltocoris, Phytocoris, Pinalitus, Platylygus, Poecilocapsus, Polymerus, Proba, Pycnocoris, Salignus, Stenotus, Stittocapsus, Taedia, Taylorilygus, Tropidosteptes
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Tribe Resthenini
Genera Oncerometopus, Opistheurista, Platytylus, Prepops

Genera Acetropis, Actinocoris, Autumnimiris, Chaetofoveolocoris, Chaetomiris, Collaria, Dolichomiris, Leptopterna, Litomiris, Megaloceroea, Mimoceps, Pithanus, Porpomiris, Stenodema, Teratocoris, Trigonotylus


Subfamily Orthotylinae
Tribe Halticini
Genera Anapus, Halticus, Labops, Myrmecophyes, Orthocephalus

Genera Acaciacoris, Aoplonema, Apachemiris, Argyrocoris, Ballella, Blepharidopterus, Brachynotocoris, Brooksetta, Ceratocapsus, Cyrtorhinus, Daleapidea, Diaphnidia, Dichaetocoris, Ephedrodoma, Guerrerocoris, Fieberocapsus, Hadronema, Heterocordylus, Heterotoma, Hyalochloria, Ilnacora, Ilnacorella, Jobertus, Labopella, Labopidea, Lopidea, Lopidella, Mecomma, Noctuocoris, Orthotylus, Pamillia, Paraproba, Parthenicus, Pilophoropsis, Presidiomiris, Pseudoloxops, Pseudopsallus, Pseudoxenetus, Renodaeus, Reuteria, Saileria, Scalponotatus, Schaffneria, Sericophanes, Slaterocoris, Squamocoris, Texocoris


Subfamily PHYLINAE
Genera Coquillettia, Cyrtopeltocoris, Orectoderus, Phoradendrepulus, Teleorhinus


Genera Tytthus


Tribe Phylini
Genera Americodema, Amblytylus, Asciodema, Atractotomus, Beckocoris, Brachyceratocoris, Campylomma, Cariniocoris, Chlamydatus, Compsidolon, Coniferocoris, Conostethus, Criocoris, Europiella, Gonoporomiris, Hambletoniola, Hoplomachidea, Hoplomachus, Hyalopsallus, Icodema, Keltonia, Knigntomiroides, Knightopiella*(*introduced in (2)), Larinocerus, Lepidargyrus, Lineatopsallus, Lopus, Macrotylus, Maurodactylus, Megalocoleus, Megalopsallus, Monosynamma, Nevadocoris, Nicholia, Occidentodema, Oligotylus, Oncotylus, Phoenicocoris, Phyllopidea, Phylus, Phymatopsallus, Piceophylus, Pinomiris, Pinophylus, Plagiognathus, Plesiodema, Pronotocrepis, Psallovius, Psallus, Pseudatomoscelis, Ranzovius, Reuteroscopus, Rhinacloa, Rhinocapsus, Semium, Spanagonicus, Sthenarus, Strophopoda, Tannerocoris, Tuponia, Tuxedo
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Genera Alepidiella, Pilophorus, Sthenaridea
See Also
Scentless Plant Bugs (family Rhopalidae) have ocelli and lack a cuneus
Internet References
pinned adult images of one or more species in each of 49 genera (Insects of Cedar Creek, U. of Minnesota)
Miridae home page and searchable Systematic Catalog which also serves as a navigable directory (Plant Bug Planetary Biodiversity Inventory, American Museum of Natural History)
list of North American species and genera, split into two alphabetized sections: A-M, N-Z (nearctica.com)