Shield bug
Shield bugs are the Acanthosomatidae, a family of Hemiptera. There are 55 genera, with about 200 species. It is one of the least varied families of bugs.[1][2] The number of species is quite low for beetles, and it is not known why this is so. Individually they are fairly common.
| Shield bug Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
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| Acanthosomatidae - relative sizes | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Infraorder: | Pentatomomorpha |
| Superfamily: | Pentatomoidea Leach 1815 |
Shield bugs, like almost all bugs, live by sucking the sap of plants, usually flowering plants. They have a "layered" defence system. From a distance they are difficult to see because they are camouflaged. Then, they have a tough armoured back. Lastly, if touched, they give off revolting scents, rather like stink bugs (which are a related group).
References
- Faúndez E.I. 2009. Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Acrophyma Bergroth, 1917 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Acanthosomatidae). Zootaxa. 2137: 57-65
- Faúndez E.I. 2014. A new genus for a Chilean species of Acanthosomatidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Zootaxa, 3768(5): 596-600
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