Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowse
Info
ImagesLinksBooksData

Family Miridae - Plant Bugs

different beetle - Leptopterna dolabrata Plant Bug - Neolygus Deraeocoris nymph - Deraeocoris Plant Bug? Bug - Pseudoxenetus regalis FL mirid - Chlamydatus Plant bug Miridae? - Lygus Male, Eustictus? - Eustictus - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Infraorder Cimicomorpha
Superfamily Miroidea
Family Miridae (Plant Bugs)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Miridae Hahn 1833 (sometimes listed as 1831)
Numbers
~2,000 spp. in ~280 genera in our area • the largest heteropteran family, with >11,000 described species in ~1,530 genera worldwide(1)(2)
Size
adults 1.5‒15 mm (some neotropical Restheniini larger)(3)
Identification
trichobothria on meso- & metafemora is a feature unique to mirids
Other useful features:
lack of ocelli (ocelli may be absent in other bugs, e.g. Cnemodus or Largidae, yet present in a few mirids (Isometopinae)
presence of a cuneus (also present among cimicoids, incl. Anthocoridae, Cimicidae, and Microphysidae)
appendages mostly long and thin
Range
Cosmopolitan
Food
most are plant feeders, but many are predatory or zoophytophagous
Remarks
Overview of our fauna(4):
Family MIRIDAE
Subfamily Bryocorinae
Tribe Bryocorini

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

Genera Agaveocoris · *Cyrtocapsus · Halticotoma · Hesperolabops · Pycnoderes · *Pycnoderella · Schaffnerocoris · *Sixeonotopsis · Sixeonotus · *Sysinas

Subfamily Cylapinae
Tribe Cylapini
Genera Cylapus

Tribe Fulviini
Genera Fulvius · Peritropis

Subfamily Deraeocorinae
Tribe Clivinematini
Genera *Ambracius · Bothynotus · Clivinema · Largidea

Tribe Deraeocorini
Genera Conocephalocoris · *Deraeocapsus · Deraeocoris · Diplozona · Eurychilopterella · *Hesperophylum · *Klopicoris

Tribe Hyaliodini
Genera Hyaliodes · *Paracarniella · Stethoconus

Tribe Surinamelini
Genera Eustictus

Subfamily Isometopinae
Tribe Diphlebini
Genera Diphleps

Tribe Myiommini
Genera Corticoris · Lidopus · Myiomma · *Wetmorea

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

Tribe Mirini

Tribe Resthenini

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

Subfamily Orthotylinae
Tribe Coridromiini(6)
Genera Coridromius

Tribe Ceratocapsini(6)(7)
Genera *Ceratocapsidea(7) · Ceratocapsus · Pamillia · Pilophoropsidea(7) · Pilophoropsis · Schaffneria

Tribe Halticini

Genera *Acaciacoris · Aoplonema · Aoplonemella · Apachemiris · Argyrocoris · Ballella · Blepharidopterus · Brachynotocoris · Brooksetta · *Cyrtorhinus · Daleapidea · *Diaphnidia · Dichaetocoris · Ephedrodoma · Falconia · *Fieberocapsus · Hadronema · Hadronemidea · Heterocordylus · Heterotoma · Hyalochloria · Ilnacora · Ilnacorella · Labopella · Labopidea · Lopidea · Lopidella · Mecomma · Melymacra · Noctuocoris · Origonema · Orthotylus · Paraproba · Parthenicus · *Presidiomiris · *Proboscidotylus · Pseudoloxops · Pseudopsallus · Pseudothenicus · Pseudoxenetus · Reuteria · Saileria · Scalponotatus · Sericophanes · Slaterocoris · *Squamocoris · Texocoris

Subfamily PHYLINAE

Tribe Decomiini

Tribe Nasocorini
Genera *Adenostomocoris · *Arctostaphylocoris · Atomoscelis · Atractotomus · *Beckocoris · Campylomma · Chlamydatus · *Chlamyopsallus · *Hambletoniola · Knightomiroides · *Larinocerus · *Lattinophylus · Megalopsallus · *Monosynamma · *Nevadocoris · Phoenicocoris · *Pinomiris · *Pruneocoris · Rhinacloa · Spanagonicus · *Tannerocoris

Tribe Exaeretini
Genera Gonoporomiris · *Hyalopsallus · *Tuponia

Subtribe Cremnorrhinina
Genera Amblytylus · *Brachyceratocoris · Calidroides · Coquillettia · Guentherocoris · Leutiola · Lopus · Macrotylus · Orectoderus · Pronotocrepis · *Strophopoda · Teleorhinus · *Ticua

Tribe Phylini
Subtribe Keltoniina

Subtribe Phylina
Genera *Conostethus · *Icodema · Izyaius · Lepidargyrus · Phylus · Psallus · Sthenarus

Subtribe Oncotylina
Genera Americodema · Arizonapsallus · Asciodema · Bisulcopsallus · *Cariniocoris · Ceratopsallus · Cercocarpopsallus · [i]Compsidolon · *Crassomiris · Delphiphylus · Europiella · *Galbinocoris · Hamatophylus · *Hoplomachus · *Insulaphylus · *Knightopiella · *Knightopsallus · Lineatopsallus · *Maculamiris · Megalocoleus · Occidentodema · Oligotylus · Oncotylus · Parapsallus · Phallospinophylus · Phyllopidea · *Phymatopsallus · *Piceophylus · *Pinophylus · Plagiognathus · Plesiodema · Psallovius · *Pygovepres · *Quercophylus · Quernocoris · Ranzovius · Rhinocapsus · *Rubellomiris · *Rubeospineus · *Salicopsallus · Sthenaropsidea · Stictopsallus · Vanduzeephylus · Vesperocoris

Tribe Semiini
Subtribe Semiina

Genera Alepidiella · Pilophorus · *Sthenaridea

Subtribe Tuxedoina
Genera Tuxedo


Adenostomocoris · *Arctostaphylocoris · *Aurantiocoris · *Guentherocoris · *Pruneocoris · *Vanduzeephylus described in (8)
Calidroides and *Chlamyopsallus described in (9)
Galbinocoris · *Hamatophylus · *Insulaphylus · *Maculamiris · *Quernocoris · *Vesperocoris described in (10)
Crassomiris · *Phallospinophylus · *Quercophylus · *Pygovepres · *Rubellomiris · *Rubeospineus described in (11)
Arizonapsallus · *Bisulcopsallus · *Ceratopsallus · *Cercocarpopsallus · *Knightopsallus · *Salicopsallus · *Stictopsallus described in (12)
Tytthus moved from the Leucophoropterini to Phylini *sensu lato(13)
Leutiola and *Ticua described in (14)
Phylinae re-classified in (15)
Print References
(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)
Internet References
Miridae of Texas (Quinn 2015)
The plant bugs of Denmark(21)
Works Cited
1.Plant Bug Planetary Biodiversity Inventory
2.Catalogue of Life
3.Biodiversity of the Heteroptera
Henry T.J. 2009. In: Foottit R.G., Adler P.H., eds. Insect biodiversity: Science and society. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell: 223−263.
4.Schuh, R.T. 2002-2013. On-line Systematic Catalog of Plant Bugs (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae).
5.Resurrection of the plant bug genus Pappus Distant, with Clarification of included species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae)
Thomas J. Henry. 2006. Entomological Society of Washington.
6.Systematics, Biodiversity, Biogeography, and Host Associations of the Miridae (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha)
G. Cassis and Randall T. Schuh. 2012. Annual Reviews.
7.Revision of the Ceratocapsine Renodaeus group: Marinonicoris, Pilophoropsis, Renodaeus, and Zanchisme, with...
Henry, Thomas J. 2015. Pensoft Publishers.
8.New genera, new species, new synonyms, and new combinations in North America and Caribbean Phylinae (Heteroptera, Miridae)
Randall T. Schuh and Michael D. Schwartz. 2004. American Museum of Natural History.
9.Redescription of Strophopoda aprica Van Duzee and the Description of Two New Genera and Five New Species from ...
Michael D. Schwartz. 2005. American Museum of Natural History.
10.New genera, new species, and new combinations in western Nearctic Phylini (Heteroptera, Miridae, Phylinae)
Christiane Weirauch. 2006. American Museum of Natural History.
11.New Genera and Species of Oak-Associated Phylini (Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae) from Western North America
Christiane Weirauch. 2006. American Museum of Natural History.
12.Revision, phylogenetic, biogeographic, and host analysis of the endemic western North American Phymatopsallus group, ...
Randall T. Schuh. 2006. American Museum of Natural History.
13.Revision of Leucophoropterini: ...
Katrina L. Menard & Randall T. Schuh. 2011. American Museum of Natural History.
14.Revision of the Nearctic Genus Coquillettia Uhler With a Transfer to the Tribe Phylini, the Description of 14 New Species, ...
Denise Wyniger. 2011. New York Entomological Society.
15.A revised classification of the Phylinae (Insecta, Heteroptera, Miridae) : arguments for the placement of genera
Randall T. Schuh and Katrina L Menard. 2013. American Museum of Natural History.
16.Heteroptera of Eastern North America
W.S. Blatchley. 1926. The Nature Publishing Company.
17.The Plant Bugs of the Prairie Provinces of Canada: Heteroptera, Miridae
L.A. Kelton. 1980. Canadian Govt. Pub. Centre Supply and Services Canada.
18.The Hemiptera or sucking insects of Connecticut - Family Miridae (Capsidae)
Knight, Harry, H. 1923. State of Connecticut Geological and Natural History Survey.
19.The Plant Bugs, or Miridae, of Illinois
Knight, Harry, H. 1941. State of illinois.
20.Taxonomic review: Miridae of the Nevada test site and the western United States
Knight, Harry H. 1968. Brigham Young University.
21.Skipper L. (2003-2012) Danmarks Blomstertæger