| | Bugs | | Bugs (Heteroptera), sometimes called “true bugs”, belong to the order Hemiptera. In Europe there are about 1,000 species, however there are approximately 40,000 species worldwide. | | |
| | | | Some examples are: bedbugs, damsel bugs, Pentatomidae, fire bugs, Tingidae, quash bugs, stilt bugs, flat bugs, assassin bugs and parent bugs. | | |
| | | | Heteroptera have a wide variety of forms. With regard to their habitat and way of life they also vary greatly. There are plant sucking species, predatory species and parasites such as the bedbug. Their habitats range from forests and meadows to human dwellings. Some species prefer humid locations such as swamps, while others live in sand or salt, or in or on water. In rare cases they even appear on the open sea. | | |
| | | As is typical of insects , bugs’ bodies comprise three sections. In general, they have a broad and oblate shape (flattened at the end). At the front, they have a sucker and 2 antennae. Heteroptera are mostly plant suckers. Ectoparasites such as the bedbug suck blood.
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| | | | Assassin bugs carry diseases. Furthermore mass occurrences of bugs such as the Aelia acuminata, the Eurydema oleracea or the Dolycoris baccarum cause damage to crops. The Lygaeus equestris, however, won the Insect of the Year 2007 Award. It feeds on plant juices and is completely harmless to humans. | | |
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