Miridae is the family that includes jumping tree bugs, leaf bugs, and plant bugs. It is the largest family of true bugs (Order Hemiptera). There are more than 10,000 described species in about 1,300 genera worldwide, almost 2,000 species in 233 genera in North America north of Mexico, and about 210 species in Minnesota (CCESR). They occur on every continent except Greenland and Antarctica. Nearly all species feed on plants. Some are serious agricultural pests.

Photo by Alfredo Colon

Description

Miridae are soft-bodied, oval or elongated, and small, most less than ½″ (12 mm) in length. They have two large compound eyes and no simple eyes (ocelli). The elongated, tube-like projection containing the mouth parts (beak) has 4 segments. The last part of the leg (tarsus), corresponding to the foot, has 3 segments. On almost all species the forewing has a membranous tip with 2 closed cells, and the thickened part of the forewing (corium) has a hardened, triangular tip (cuneus).


Distribution
		Sources 24, 27, 29, 30, 82.
10/6/2024


Taxonomy
Order	Hemiptera (true bugs, hoppers, aphids, and allies)
Suborder	Heteroptera (true bugs)
Infraorder	Cimicomorpha
Superfamily	Miroidea

Subordinate Taxa
Subfamily Bryocorinae Subfamily Cylapinae Subfamily Deraeocorinae Subfamily Isometopinae (jumping tree bugs) Subfamily Mirinae Subfamily Orthotylinae Subfamily Phylinae

Synonyms
Capsidae

Common Names
plant bugs

Glossary

Beak

In plants: A comparatively short and stout, narrow or prolonged tip on a thickened organ, as on some fruits and seeds. In insects: The protruding, tubular mouthpart of a sucking insect.

Corium

The thickened basal portion of the front wing that lies between the clavus and the membrane of insects in the family Hemiptera. Plural: coria.

Cuneus

The triangular, hardened, horn-like tip of the forewing of a plant bug (family Miridae).

Ocellus

Simple eye; an eye with a single lens. Plural: ocelli.

Tarsus

On insects, the last two to five subdivisions of the leg, attached to the tibia; the foot. On spiders, the last segment of the leg. Plural: tarsi.


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Alfredo Colon


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Miridae bug
Pieter Bruin

About

May 15, 2020

An 8mm long Miridae bug from my garden. Note the two black spots on it thorax by which it simulates to be a much larger insect, discouraging certain pretators.

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Alfredo Colon 6/10/2024	Location: Albany, NY


Alfredo Colon 8/10/2022	Location: Albany, NY


Alfredo Colon 8/5/2019	Location: Woodbury, Minnesota


Alfredo Colon 8/4/2019	Location: Woodbury, Minnesota


Alfredo Colon 7/15/2018	Location: Woodbury, Minnesota


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Created: 1/18/2019

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plant bugs

Overview

Description

Distribution

Taxonomy

Subordinate Taxa

Synonyms

Common Names

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Alfredo Colon

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