Alydidae


Alydidae, commonly known as broad-headed bugs, is a family of true bugs very similar to the closely related Coreidae. There are at least 60 genera and 300 species altogether. Distributed in the temperate and warmer regions of the Earth, most are tropical and subtropical animals; for example Europe has a mere 10 species, and only 2 of these occur outside the Mediterranean region.

Names

Broad-headed bugs are known as knobe in the Meto and Funai Helong languages of West Timor, Indonesia.

Description

Broad-headed bugs are up to long, and have slender bodies. Some have long and very thin legs. The most notable characteristics of the family are that the head is broad, often similar in length and width to the pronotum and the scutellum, and that the last antennal segments are elongated and curved. The compound eyes are globular and protruding, and they also have ocelli. The femora of the hindlegs bear several strong spines; the tarsus has three segments. Most species have well-developed hemelytra, allowing them to fly well, but in some the hemelytra are vestigial. The membranous part of the hemelytra have several closely spaced long veins.
Alydidae are generally of dusky or blackish coloration. The upperside of the abdomen is usually bright orange-red. this color patch is normally not visible as it is covered by the wings; it can be exposed, perhaps to warn would-be predators of these animals' noxiousness: They frequently have scent glands that produce a stink considered to be worse than that of true stink bugs. The stink is said to smell similar to a bad case of halitosis.
Sometimes the adults have reduced wings. Both, nymphs and adults of some species, such as Dulichius inflatus and Hyalymenus spp. are ant mimics and live in ant nests.

Ecology

These bugs mainly inhabit fairly arid and sandy habitat, like seashores, heathland, steppe and savannas. Their main food is seeds, which they pierce with their proboscis to drink the nutritious fluids contained within. Some are economically significant pests, for example Leptocorisa oratoria on rice.

Systematics

Two major lineages are generally accepted as subfamilies; a third is now placed as a tribe Leptocorisini of the Micrelytrinae.

Genera

These 60 genera belong to the family Alydidae:Acestra Dallas, 1852Alydus Fabricius, 1803Anacestra Hsiao, 1964Apidaurus Stål, 1870Bactrocoris Kormilev, 1953Bactrodosoma Stål, 1860Bactrophya Breddin, 1901Bactrophyamixia Brailovsky, 1991Bloeteocoris Ahmad, 1965Burtinus Stål, 1859Calamocoris Breddin, 1901Camptopus Amyot & Serville, 1843Cosmoleptus Stål, 1873Cydamus Stål, 1860Daclera Signoret, 1863Darmistus Stål, 1859Dulichius Stål, 1866Esperanza Barber, 1906Eudarmistus Breddin, 1903Euthetus Dallas, 1852Grypocephalus Hsiao, 1963Hamedius Stål, 1860Heegeria Reuter, 1881Hyalymenus Amyot & Serville, 1843Hypselopus Burmeister, 1835Leptocorisa Latreille, 1829Longicoris Ahmad, 1968Lyrnessus Stål, 1862Marcius Stål, 1865Megalotomus Fieber, 1860Melanacanthus Stål, 1873Micrelytra Laporte, 1833Mirperus Stål, 1860Mutusca Stål, 1866Nariscus Stål, 1866Nemausus Stål, 1866Neomegalotomus Schaffner & Schaefer, 1998Noliphus Stål, 1859Oxycranum Bergroth, 1910Paramarcius Hsiao, 1964Paraplesius Scott, 1874PlanusocorisProtenor Stål, 1867Rimadarmistus Bliven, 1956Riptortus Stål, 1860Robustocephalus Ahmad, Abbas, Shadab & Khan, 1979Slateria Ahmad, 1965Stachyocnemus Stål, 1870Stachyolobus Stål, 1871Stenocoris Burmeister, 1839 Tenosius Stål, 1860Tollius Stål, 1870Trachelium Herrich-Schäffer, 1850Tuberculiformia Ahmad, 1967Tupalus Stål, 1860Zulubius Bergroth, 1894