Gelastocoridae

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Gelastocoridae
Gelastocoris oculatus

Gelastocoris oculatus

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Schnabelkerfe (Hemiptera)
Subordination : Bed bugs (heteroptera)
Partial order : Water bugs (Nepomorpha)
Superfamily : Ochteroidea
Family : Gelastocoridae
Scientific name
Gelastocoridae
Kirkaldy , 1897
Nerthra sp.
Nymph camouflages itself with grains of sand

The Gelastocoridae form a family of bugs (Heteroptera) in the suborder of water bugs (Nepomorpha). The family is spread worldwide (with the exception of Europe), especially in the southern hemisphere. The ancestors of the bug family were originally aquatic and only later evolved into land-bound animals. In English, the bugs are also known as toad bugs due to their appearance .

features

The bugs reach a body length of 6 to 15 millimeters. They have a plump, oval, flattened body stature. The large protruding eyes are striking. The feelers are often folded under the head and are therefore not visible. The bugs have strong femora (thighs) on their front legs . They also have one or two claws on their front legs. The trunk ( rostrum ) is shortened. The bugs are camouflaged .

Way of life

The bugs of the subfamily Gelastocorinae mainly colonize bank habitats on the edge of streams and ponds, while representatives of the genus Nerthra also live far away from water. The bugs hunt small insects and arthropods, which they grab with their front legs. The nymphs of different species camouflage themselves with a layer of grains of sand.

Systematics

The family consists of two subfamilies with three recent genera and about 110 species:

Gelastocorinae

Nerthrinae

The genus Nerthra occurs in the tropical and subtropical regions of all continents (with the exception of Europe). The subfamily Gelastocorinae is restricted to the Nearctic and Neotropical .

Types (selection)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Family Gelastocoridae - Toad Bugs . bugguide.net. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  2. ↑ a b c d P. Kment & Z. Jindra: Review of the family Gelastocoridae (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha) of south-eastern Asia (PDF 465 KB) ADVANCES IN HETEROPTERA RESEARCH. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  3. ↑ Gelastocoridae . UNH Center for Freshwater Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  4. ↑ Gelastocoridae - Toad Bugs . Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  5. ↑ Gelastocoridae in the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

Web links

Commons : Gelastocoridae  - album with pictures, videos and audio files