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...also wondering about various bug families' diets...

Thanks for your help, great site :)
Updated list below!

I also need to know (roughly) what various bugs (specifically Heteroptera) eat.

Lygaeidae - these seem to be mainly herbivores, I wonder if anyone knows which species (if there are only a few) are predatory, so I can compare my specimens to those and eliminate them if possible.

Miridae: Mecomma ambulans

I really only need to know predator/herbivore/scavenger, though for any with a mixed diet it would be helpful to know more detail.

Thanks

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Contributed by marian on 4 February, 2010 - 6:23am
Last updated 8 February, 2010 - 4:07am

Lygaeidae s.l.

check Slater & Baranowski 1990 ("many Geocorinae, at least in part, entomophagous")

… v belov, 9 February, 2010 - 6:49am

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Mecomma ambulans

apparently, there is no conclusive data on its diet: Kerzhner’s 1964 key says, ‘On herbaceous plants in wet forested areas; polyphagous’ –- BUT his own more recent and much more detailed treatment(1) says ‘on herbaceous plants on meadows and especially under wood canopy’ with no diet reference whatsoever :(
the mirid data base is also silent

… v belov, 9 February, 2010 - 6:43am

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Sorry! Xxx gen. means it's on

Sorry! Xxx gen. means it's only the genus name - sp. is where there's only that one species in the genus I think; M.ambulans is Mecomma ambulans, C.virgula is Campyloneura virgula (I think, will check though). All of those listed after Miridae are in the Mirid family, which I understand to be rather mixed in feeding habit...

… marian, 4 February, 2010 - 10:12am

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ok, thanx

1. Campyloneura virgula is correct ("Apparently predacious on small arthropods"(1)) -- so you can delete this item from your list
2. edit your request to reflect the changes, and replace 'gen.' with 'spp.'
3. then go to Miridae taxonomy page, click the names you need => then the 'Info' tab => check whatever info is available there, and update your request accordingly

… v belov, 4 February, 2010 - 10:38am

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abbreviations

if you really need feedback from others, pls do your part and spell out M.ambulans, C. virgula; what does the formula "Xxx gen." mean?

… v belov, 4 February, 2010 - 8:57am

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