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The Pentatomoidea are a superfamily of insects in the suborder Heteroptera of the order Hemiptera. As hemipterans, they possess a common arrangement of sucking mouthparts.<ref name=CSIRO>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The roughly 7000 species under Pentatomoidea are divided into 21 families (16 extant and 5 extinct).<ref name=Gillott1995/><ref name=Cassis2002>Template:Cite book</ref> Among these are the stink bugs and shield bugs, jewel bugs, giant shield bugs, and burrower bugs.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

DescriptionEdit

File:Heteroptera morphology-d.svg
Anatomy of the dorsal aspect of a shield bug. A: head; B: thorax; C: abdomen. 1: claws; 2: tarsus; 3: tibia; 4: femur; 8: compound eye; 9: antenna; 10: clypeus; 23: laterotergites (connexivum); 25: pronotum; 26: scutellum; 27: clavus; 28: corium; 29: embolium; 30: hemelytral membrane.

The Pentatomoidea are characterised by a well-developed scutellum (the hardened extension of the thorax over the abdomen). It can be triangular to semielliptical in shape.<ref name=Cassis2002/> The antennae typically have five segments. The tarsi usually have two or three segments.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Shield bugs have glands that produce a foul-smelling liquid, which is used defensively to deter potential predators. Nymphs have glands on the dorsal surface of the abdomen (dorsal abdominal scent glands). These are often present in adults as well, but adults also develop a pair of glands on the metathorax (third segment of the thorax), these being the metathoracic scent glands.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

The nymphs and adults have distinctive piercing mouthparts, with mandibles and maxillae modified to form a piercing stylet sheathed within a modified labium. The stylet is used to suck sap from plants, or in some cases to suck blood from other animals, such as in the predatory subfamily Asopinae.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Pentatomoidea are mostly phytophagous,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> although some (the Asopinae or predatory stink bugs) are zoophagous.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> They can become significant pests (e.g. the brown marmorated stink bug), causing economic damage to certain crops.

FamiliesEdit

These families are classified under Pentatomoidea:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

ExtantEdit

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  • Parastrachiidae Template:Small – bright red and black bugs exhibiting maternal care of eggs, it contains only two genera: Dismegistus (Africa) and Parastrachia (Eastern Asia).<ref name="foottit"/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
  • Pentatomidae Template:Small – known as stink bugs, it is the largest family in Pentatomoidea. It contains around 900 genera and over 4700 species.<ref name="foottit"/>
  • Phloeidae – large mottled brown and flattened bugs found strictly in the Neotropical realm. It is composed on only 2 genera and 3 species. They are known to exhibit strong maternal care.<ref name="schuh"/>
  • Plataspidae – found in Asia, particularly eastern Asia, although a few species of Coptosoma occur in the Palearctic. They are round plant-feeding bugs. It has about 59 genera and 560 species.<ref name="foottit"/>
  • Saileriolidae – only recently removed from inclusion within Urostylididae.
  • Scutelleridae – known as jewel bugs or shield-backed bugs. Composed of 81 genera and about 450 species.
  • Tessaratomidae – known as giant shield bugs because they are usually relatively large. Has about 55 genera and 240 species worldwide (mainly in the Old World tropics).<ref name=Gillott1995>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Cassis2002/><ref>>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Thaumastellidae – small bugs usually found under rocks in tropical Africa and the Middle East. It contains only one genus and three species. There is some debate to their inclusion within Pentatomoidea.<ref>P353 Zoological Catalogue of Australia</ref>
  • Thyreocoridae Template:Small – includes the former family, subfamily Corimelaeninae Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> – known as ebony bugs, they are small, oval, shiny black bugs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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ExtinctEdit

PhylogenyEdit

The morphological unweighted tree of Pentatomoidea after Grazia et al. (2008).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

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GalleryEdit

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See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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