Introduction to True Bugs (Heteroptera) of the Neotropics

Abstract

True bugs (Heteroptera) are a diverse and complex group of insects, particularly in the neotropics. The fauna of these bugs has been investigated through time, but our knowledge of the species living in the Neotropical Region is limited. In this introductory chapter, we give a general view on true bugs classifi cation and biogeography, with concise comments on their general characteristics and bioecology of each major taxon that comprise each of the seven infraorders of Heteroptera. IntroductionThe true bugs (Heteroptera) constitute a very interesting widely distributed group of insects, which is greatly diversifi ed in tropical zones. Considered the largest group of insects with incomplete metamorphosis, heteropterans have been studied on both basic and applied aspects worldwide.Along the years, several books have been published on Heteroptera, the majority on specifi c aspects, such as certain groups (taxa) of particular areas, and others on more general comprehensive issues. Of more broad interest, two books about the latter were published relatively recently. The fi rst was dedicated to the classifi cation and natural history of true bugs in particular, with insights on the history of the study of Heteroptera, how to collect and preserve true bugs, historical biogeogra- The second book is a massive review of the world literature on species of economic importance, ranging from pest species of crops to species of medical importance (e.g., transmitters of Chagas disease) and to species that are of "nuisance" to humans (Schaefer and Panizzi 2000 ).Considering the Neotropical Region, not a general book devoted to Heteroptera has been published in the last 70+ years. There are texts dealing with Hemiptera (Heteroptera) such as the one by Costa Lima ( 1940 ) on the true bugs of Brazil and the one by Berg ( 1879 ) devoted to true bugs of Argentina. Recently, Grazia and Fernandes ( 2012 ) made an overview of the true bugs of Brazil, updating what was published before on many scattered publications.In this introductory chapter, we give a concise and fast overview of the true bugs of the neotropics. This includes a general view on their classifi cation and biogeography, with concise comments on their general characteristics and bioecology of each major taxon that comprise each of the seven infraorders of Heteroptera. Classifi cation, Biogeography, General Characteristics, and Bioecology of Neotropical True BugsThe order Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera, is divided into seven infraorders: Enicocephalomorpha, Dipsocoromorpha, Gerromorpha, Nepomorpha, Leptopodomorpha, Cimicomorpha, and Pentatomomorpha. These seven infraorders were recognized by Schuh ( 1979 ) based on the information on the evolutionary tendencies of heteropterans mouthparts and feeding habits described by Cobben ( 1978 ). Recently, Weirauch and Schuh ( 2011 ) revised the actual knowledge on the systematics and evolution of the heteropterans. EnicocephalomorphaThis infraorder, the unique-headed bugs, is divided in two families, Aenictopecheidae and...

Angiosperm to Gymnosperm host‐plant switch entails shifts in microbiota of theWelwitschiabug,Probergrothius angolensis(Distant, 1902)

“…The heteropteran family Pyrrhocoridae, commonly known as “firebugs,” “red bugs” and “cotton strainers,” consists of over 300 currently described, mostly Old World, species that primarily feed on seeds from malvaceous plants such as Gossypium (cotton), Tilia (linden), Hibiscus , Adansonia (baobab), Ceiba (kapok) and Sterculia (tropical chestnut) (Panizzi & Grazia, ; Schaefer & Ahmad, ). These seeds are chemically defended and toxic to many animals (Nixon, Eisele, Wales, & Sinnhuber, ; Rani & Rajasekharreddy, , ; Schmid & Patterson, ; Schneider, Sheehan, Vavich, & Kemmerer, ), yet pyrrhocorids have evolved to utilize them as their primary nutrition source.…”

“…The heteropteran family Pyrrhocoridae, commonly known as "firebugs," "red bugs" and "cotton strainers," consists of over 300 currently described, mostly Old World, species that primarily feed on seeds from malvaceous plants such as Gossypium (cotton), Tilia (linden), Hibiscus, Adansonia (baobab), Ceiba (kapok) and Sterculia (tropical chestnut) (Panizzi & Grazia, 2015;Schaefer & Ahmad, 2000).…”

A Cretaceous bug with exaggerated antennae might be a double-edged sword in evolution

“…19 20 Antennal expansion and sexual selection 21 A delicate visual display structure is a prominent signal to attract mates or defeat and rare in Insecta. The leaf-like expansion of the hind tibiae and the third antennal 1 segment in modern male coreids is usually used to attract mates, and the mating success 2 rate is closely related to male body size (McLain et al, 1993;Panizzi and Grazia, 2015). 3 Therefore, we hypothesize that the extremely expanded antennae of M. wuae gen. et sp.…”

“…39 Here, we describe a coreid nymph with exaggerated, expanded antennae that lived in 40 the area of present-day northern Myanmar during the Upper Cretaceous. During the 41 Cretaceous, these bugs were active on gymnosperms, ferns, and early angiosperms, 42 feeding on the nutritional material in the leaves, branches, trunks, flowers and seeds of 43 host plants, especially in young tissue (Panizzi and Grazia, 2015). This nymph 44 3 represents the first record of the family Coreidae preserved in amber.…”

“…These similarities imply the occurrence of antennal 10 enlargement in the Hemiptera, suggesting possible behavioral convergence resulting 11 from sexual selection (Wappler et al, 2015). 12 13 Antennal expansion and defense behavior 14 Camouflage is a common behavior in insects and can effectively reduce the probability 15 of an individual being detected by a predator, and increase the chances of escape from piece of lichen on a tree (Panizzi and Grazia, 2015). 21 Some body parts can regenerate or are expendable.…”