Stinkbugs...aphids...ever wonder what those are? They aren't hymenopteras...nor lepidopteras...They seem like beetles, don't they? Similar shape in some species...But they don't have the famous 'sheath-wings' of the coleopteras either. Some of them, like cicadas, actually look like hymeopteras with their membrane wings, but that doesn't seem quite right, does it? So...what are they? Well, they belong to the order Hemiptera.

   Hemiptera comes from Greek meaning 'half wing' due to the insects' forewings which are usually hardened in the front like a coleoptera but changes into a membrane wing like a hymenoptera at the back. 


    Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell whether a given bug is a hemiptera or not. Maybe it's too small or maybe you don't know exactly what to look for. The most distinguishing feature when identifying a hemiptera is probably its mouth. A hemiptera's mouth is elongated into a 'proboscis.' This is like a straw with a sharp point that can be tucked away to the underside of the insect's body. A hemiptera uses this proboscis to penetrate the tissues of other organisms, usually plants, and to suck up the liquids. The proboscis is distinguishable from other insects' straw-like mouthparts, such as a mosquito's needle, because hemipteras have the ability to tuck away their proboscis to the underside of their belly. 

    Hemipteras are hemimetabolous, which means that they do not develop into adults after going through a cocoon stage. In short, hemipteras do not go through metamorphosis. Instead, they start as nymphs which resemble the adult. The final stage of their growth consists of creation of wings and functional genitals.


   Although many hemipteras are herbivores - they use their proboscis to drink the fluid from plants - some drink instead, the fluid of other insects. Often, the carnivorous ones' proboscis are wider than those of the herbivores. Thus, it is important to look at the proboscis carefully when identifying hemipteras.




Belostomatidae - Lethocerus - Lethocerus uhleri (Uhler's water bug): For anyone that have taken the AP Environmental Science class at Groton School, I am sure the phrase “Giant water bugs” would ring a bell. If it doesn’t, how about this? “They can melt your skin, and it won’t grow back.” If it still doesn’t, I suggest you re-take the class…

   Anyways, Lethocerus uhleri is one of the two main species of giant water bugs in the Eastern USA. It is the larger of the two, often growing to over 40mm in length, making it one of the largest insects caught on campus. As typical of all hemipterans, all L uhleri have a proboscis, which they use to suck up their food. However, their food isn’t something soft and squishy, such as the inside of a plant. Instead, their diet consists of other small aquatic invertebrates, fish, and even amphibians. So, how do they drink something like a water beetle? This is where the “melt your skin” part comes in. When they capture a prey, they inject a powerful enzyme which liquefies the prey, and then they drink up the resulting soup. Thus, the reason for caution around these large hemipterans.

   They seem to be incapable of flight, and I haven’t read records of these giant water bugs being caught outside of their aquatic environment, so you won’t have to worry about these nasty stingers outside of freshwater ponds. If you come across one that seems dead though, you should still be careful as they are notorious for playing dead and then backstabbing later.


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