Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Pentatomomorpha » Lygaeoidea » Seed Bugs (Lygaeidae) » Lygaeinae » Lygaeus

Genus Lygaeus

small milkweed bug nymph - Lygaeus kalmii

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 Pentatomomorpha

Superfamily Lygaeoidea

Family Lygaeidae (Seed Bugs)

Subfamily Lygaeinae

Genus Lygaeus

Explanation of Names

Lygaeus Fabricius 1794

Numbers

6-7 spp. in our area(1)(BG data), 16 in the New World(2), 70 total(3)

Size

6.5-13.0 mm(2)

Range

worldwide except Australian Region(2)

Remarks

Lygaeus seem to be somewhat solitary and are frequently photographed singly or in mating pairs, whereas Oncopeltus are often seen in colonies, especially in the nymphal stage.

Works Cited

1.	Catalog of the Heteroptera, or True Bugs of Canada and the Continental United States Thomas J. Henry, Richard C. Froeschner. 1988. Brill Academic Publishers.

2.	A Genus Level Revision of Western Hemisphere Lygaeinae (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) with Keys to Species Alex Slater. 1992. University of Kansas Science Bulletin.

3.	Dellapé P.M., Henry T.J. (2016‒) Lygaeoidea species file

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, Lynette Elliott, Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, v belov, Harsi S. Parker
Last updated 17 July, 2019 - 11:42am

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