Introduction to Heteroptera

The true bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera) comprise one the most diverse groups of insects with more than 45,000 described species classified into 7 infraorders and 88 families occurring in all the world’s biogeographical regions and in almost all types of terrestrial, limnic, and marine environments (Schuh & Weirauch, 2020). Due to their highly modified mouthparts, which are specialized for piercing and sucking, heteropterans exploit all types of food items including plants, fungi, small animals, and even blood from vertebrates including humans (Dolling, 1991). Many species of Heteroptera are considered important pests, either because of the immediate effect of their feeding on plants and animals or because they act as vectors for pathogenic microorganisms such as protozoans, bacteria, and viruses (Schaefer & Panizzi, 2000; Larivière & Larochelle, 2004).