Lygaeidae
| Lygaeidae | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Oncopeltus fasciatus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Infraorder: | Pentatomomorpha |
| Superfamily: | Lygaeoidea |
| Family: |
Lygaeidae (Schilling, 1829) |
| Subfamilies | |
|
Bledionotinae |
|
Bledionotinae
Henestarinae
Ischnorhynchinae
Lygaeinae
Orsillinae
Psamminae
The Lygaeidae are a family in the Hemiptera (true bugs), with some 60 genera in six subfamilies. The family includes the insects commonly known as milkweed bugs, and also some of those known as seed bugs. The family used to be vastly larger, as numerous former subfamilies have been removed and given independent family status, including Artheneidae, Blissidae, Cryptorhamphidae, Cymidae, Geocoridae, Heterogastridae, Ninidae, Oxycarenidae, Pachygronthidae, and Rhyparochromidae, which together constituted well over half of the former family. Many of the species feed on seeds, although some feed on sap (mucivory), and a few, such as the wekiu bug, feed on insects.
The bizarre and mysterious beetle-like Psamminae were formerly often placed in the Piesmatidae, but this is almost certainly incorrect. Their true affiliations, however, are not entirely resolved to satisfaction.
Subfamily Henestarinae
Subfamily Ischnorhynchinae (this subfamily is occasionally treated at the family level)
Subfamily Lygaeinae (list incomplete; at least 30 included genera)
Subfamily Orsillinae (this subfamily is occasionally treated at the family level)
Subfamily Psamminae
False milkweed bug, Lygaeus turcicus on Asteraceae flower.
Small Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus kalmii), nymph (bottom) and mature (top)
Milkweed bug on a butterfly weed
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Wikipedia