 | | Typical Bug - Heteroptera - Elasmostethus interstinctus (Pictures of bugs) | |
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| Bugs (Heteroptera) | | 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. | | |
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 | | Forest bug - Pentatoma rufipes (Pictures of bugs) | |
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| Some examples are: bedbugs (Cimex lectularius), damsel bugs (Nabidae), Pentatomidae, fire bugs (Pyrrhocoridae), Tingidae, quash bugs (Coreidae), stilt bugs (Berytidae), flat bugs (Aradidae), assassin bugs and Miridae. | | |
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 | | Green shield bug - Palomena prasina (Pictures of bugs) | |
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| 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 (Cimex lectularius). 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. | | |
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 | | Liocoris tripustulatus (Pictures of bugs) | |
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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 (Cimex lectularius) suck blood.
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 | | Striped stink bug - black and red striped bug (Pictures of bugs) | |
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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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 | | Typical Bug - Firebug (Pictures of bugs) | |
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