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For the United States & Canada
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National Moth Week was July 19-27, and the Summer 2025 gathering in Louisiana, July 19-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

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Genus Orius

Representative Images

Notice Anything Unusual... - Orius insidiosus Minute Pirate Bug - Orius insidiosus Minute Pirate Bug - Orius insidiosus Hemiptera IMG_0212 - Orius insidiosus Minute Pirate Bug - Orius insidiosus Seed Bug. ? - Orius tristicolor Orius? - Orius tristicolor Minute pirate bug – Orius insidiosus? - Orius insidiosus

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 Cimicoidea
Family Anthocoridae (Minute Pirate Bugs)
Tribe Oriini
Genus Orius

Explanation of Names

Orius Wolff 1811

Numbers

8 spp. (of which two introduced) in our area(1), possibly more cryptic species in western US (2)

Identification

Revision of our species in(3); key to Canadian species in(4); study of western species in (2)

Range

Cosmopolitan(5); widespread in NA

Habitat

can be found anywhere its food is available; common in agricultural settings and weedy areas

Food

insect eggs, aphids, thrips, spider mites, and other small insects

Life Cycle

Development from egg to adult takes at least 20 days; multiple generations per year

Remarks

Used as biocontrol agents. May bite humans.

Print References

Shapiro J.P., Shirk P.D., Reitz S.R., Koenig R. (2009) Sympatry of Orius insidiosus and O. pumilio (Hemiptera:Anthocoridae) in north central Florida. Florida Entomologist 92: 362-366 (Abstract)

Internet References

Works Cited

1.First North American records for the Palearctic Orius majusculus (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Anthocoridae)
Henry, T.J. 2008. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 110(4): 953-959.
2.Morphological and Genetic Reappraisal of the Orius Fauna of the Western United States (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Anthocoridae)
Horton, DR, et al. 2016. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 109(2): 319–334.
3.The genus Orius of the western hemisphere (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae)
Herring, J.L. 1966. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 59 (6):, 1093-1109.
4.The Insects and Arachnids of Canada Part 4: The Anthocoridae of Canada and Alaska
Leonard A. Kelton. 1978. Supply and Services Canada.
5.Australian Faunal Directory
6.Biological control: A guide to natural enemies in North America