Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
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

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27


Superfamily Cimicoidea

Representative Images

Bettle or Tick? - Cimex lectularius Minute pirate bug from British Columbia 10.07.13 - Orius tristicolor Melanocoris nigricornis (Van Duzee) - Melanocoris nigricornis Minute Pirate Bug - Anthocoris musculus Paratriphleps laevisculus Nymph, Cimex lectularius? - Cimex lectularius Anthocoridae - Anthocoris Brighter red A. bakeri? - Anthocoris bakeri

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

Numbers

6 families total, none particularly large (<700 spp. worldwide, of which >2/3 in the Anthocoridae), 5 families in our area; not yet in the guide: Polyctenidae, the highly specialized Bat Bugs (2 spp. in our area, ~30 worldwide)(1)

Identification

keys in(2); keys to Michigan spp. in(3)

Remarks

members of this group are readily spread via human agency -- see, e.g., (4)(5)

Works Cited

1.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.
2.Keys to genera of Anthocoridae of America north of Mexico, with descriptions of a new genus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)
J.L. Herring. 1976. The Florida Entomologist, 59 (2): 143-150.
3.A synopsis of the Cimicoidea (Heteroptera) of Michigan
Swanson D.R. 2016. Great Lakes Entomol. 49: 115-145.
4.The non-indigenous Lyctocoridae and Anthocoridae (Hemiptera : Heteroptera : Cimicoidea) of America North of Mexico
Lattin J.D. 2007. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 109: 366‒376.
5.Interceptions of Anthocoridae, Lasiochilidae, and Lyctocoridae at the Miami Plant Inspection Station (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)
Horton D.R., Lewis T.M., Dobbs T.T. 2013. Fla. Entomol. 96: 482-497.