Bugs

Order Hemiptera

Bugs are distinguished from other insects by the sharp mouth part and partially hard forewing. This order includes shield bugs, assassin bugs, cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, scale insects, etc.

1. Suborder Sternorrhyncha (aphids, scale insects, etc)
2. Suborder Auchenorrhyncha (cicadas, hoppers, etc)
3. Suborder Heteroptera (true bugs)
4. The fourth and last suborder, Coleorrhyncha, is not known to exist in Singapore.

Suborder Sternorrhyncha (aphids, scale insects, etc)

Aphids and mealy bugs are pests which feed on plant saps.

Tended by Weaver Ants at Punggol Waterway Park ©Tan KH

Suborder Auchenorrhyncha (cicadas, hoppers, etc)

This suborder consists of 4 superfamilies:

1. Superfamily Cicadoidea (cicadas)
2. Superfamily Membracoidea (tree/leafhoppers)
3. Superfamily Cercopoidea (froghoppers/spittlebugs)
4. Superfamily Fulgoroidea (planthoppers)

Cicadas (Superfamily Cicadoidea)

Cicadas are the noisy insects of the forests. In Singapore, most of them are drab looking, but sometimes colourful ones can be found too.

Chremistica sp. on Pulau Ubin ©Tan KH

Sungei Buloh. Chinese Garden ©Lau SY

Exoskeleton after moult. A colourful one ©Tan GC

Sungei Buloh: ©Danny Lau. ©Tan KH

Leafhoppers (Family Cicadellidae)

Upper Peirce ©Eddy Lee

©Eddy Lee

Orange Sharpshooters Bothrogonia addita at Dairy Farm. Spittlebug Ptyelinellus praefractus at Phoenix Walk ©Eddy Lee

Treehoppers (Family Membracidae)

Dairy Farm ©Eddy Lee

Planthoppers (Superfamily Fulgoroidea)

Planthoppers are so called because their body resembles the plants they hang out on and the fact that they do hop.

Upper Peirce ©Eddy Lee

Flatid Bug (Family Flatidae) nymph at Upper Peirce and adult at Woodlands ©Tan KH

Ricanula stigmatica. Family Derbidae at Chestnut Trail. ©Eddy Lee

Family Ricanidae at Mandai Orchid Garden ©Lau SY and Central Catchment ©Eddy Lee

Suborder Heteroptera (true bugs)

Mattar Road ©Lau SY. Moulting at NTU ©Eddy Lee

Chestnut Area ©Eddy Lee

Assassin Bugs (Family Reduviidae) are predatory bugs with a long sharp mouth piece.

Ant-snatching Assassin Bug (Acanthaspis petax) and Acanthaspis quadriannulata at Dairy Farm ©Eddy Lee

Yellow Assassin Bug (Cosmolestes picticeps) ©Eddy Lee

Feeding on millipede at NTU. Sycanus sp. at Chestnut Trail ©Eddy Lee

Shield Bugs (Superfamily Pentatomoidea) are characterised by the triangular plate on the back. They are also called Stink Bugs because they give off a stinking smell when threatened.

Giant Shield Bug (Pycanum rubens): Adults. Juvenile ©Eddy Lee

Chestnut Area. Kent Ridge ©Eddy Lee

Rifle Range ©Eddy Lee

A Shield Bug guarding its eggs at Admiralty Park ©Tan KH. Chestnut Area ©Eddy Lee

Squash Bugs (Family Coreidae) look like Shield Bugs.

Squash Bug at Chestnut Trail ©Eddy Lee

Cotton Stainers (Family Pyrrhocoridae) are so called because when they are harvested with cotton, they get crushed and stain the cotton.

Dysdercus decussatus at Sungei Buloh ©Eddy Lee

References

http://tolweb.org/Hemiptera/8239
http://ag.udel.edu/research/planthoppers/Family_Identification.html