True Bugs
Order Hemiptera
Distinguished by their piercing-sucking mouthparts. Includes cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs.
Species in this Order (123)
African Screaming Cicada
Brevisana brevis
The loudest insect ever recorded, producing calls at 106.7 decibels measured at 50 cm — louder than ...
Alder Spittlebug
Aphrophora alni
A common European spittlebug found on willows and alders. Nymphs produce copious frothy spittle mass...
Amazonian Cicada
Fidicina mannifera
A large green and brown cicada with a powerful buzzing call that echoes through the Amazonian canopy...
Amazonian Water Scorpion
Ranatra spp.
A stick-like aquatic bug with an extremely elongated body and long breathing siphon at the rear. It ...
Ambush Bug
Phymata americana
A small crab-like bug that waits motionless on flowers to ambush visiting pollinators....
Anchor Stink Bug
Stiretrus anchorago
A predatory stink bug that is one of North America's most colorful pentatomids, with highly variable...
Ant-attended Treehopper
Publilia concava
A small North American treehopper commonly tended by ants that harvest its honeydew secretions. In r...
Ant-Mimicking Treehopper
Cyphonia clavata
A treehopper with a pronotal projection shaped like an ant sitting on its back. The ant mimic is tho...
Aphid
Myzus persicae
Tiny sap-sucking insects with extraordinary reproduction. Can reproduce without mating (parthenogene...
Assassin Bug
Zelus renardii
Ambush predators that impale prey with their curved beak and inject lethal saliva. Some species coat...
Assassin Bug
Platymeris biguttatus
A large, jet-black assassin bug with two white spots on the wings and powerful curved mouthparts. It...
Backswimmer
Anisops debilis
An aquatic bug that swims upside down and uses hemoglobin to store oxygen underwater....
Backswimmer
Notonecta glauca
An aquatic bug that swims upside down just beneath the water surface, using its long hind legs as oa...
Bed Bug
Cimex lectularius
Obligate blood-feeding parasites of humans. Can survive up to a year without feeding. Have made a dr...
Bed Bug Hunter
Reduvius personatus
An assassin bug whose nymph camouflages itself with dust and debris glued to its body....
Bee Killer Assassin Bug
Apiomerus crassipes
An assassin bug that coats its legs with plant resin to capture bees visiting flowers....
Blue Shieldbug
Zicrona caerulea
A metallic blue-green predatory stink bug found across Europe and Asia. It specializes in hunting fl...
Box Bug
Gonocerus acuteangulatus
A slender, reddish-brown coreid bug historically restricted to box trees in southern England but now...
Brazilian Treehopper
Bocydium globulare
One of the most bizarre insects alive — its helmet has bulbous globular projections resembling a tin...
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Halyomorpha halys
A shield-shaped brown bug with marbled patterning and distinctive white-banded antennae. Native to E...
Buffalo Treehopper
Stictocephala bisonia
A small, bright green treehopper with a distinctive triangular pronotum that makes it resemble a min...
Cassini Periodical Cicada
Magicicada cassini
A 17-year periodical cicada distinguished from related species by its all-black underside and distin...
Cicada Assassin Bug
Pselliopus barberi
A colorful orange and black assassin bug that specializes in hunting cicadas. It uses its powerful r...
Cinnamon Bug
Corizus hyoscyami
A bright red-and-black scentless plant bug that mimics fire bugs and other aposematic insects. Despi...
Cochineal Scale Insect
Dactylopius coccus
The source of carmine dye — one of the most important natural red pigments. Farmed on prickly pear c...
Common Pond Skater
Aquarius najas
A large, elongate water strider that glides across the surface of flowing rivers and large ponds. It...
Common Water Strider
Aquarius remigis
A slender dark brown insect that skates across the surface of streams and ponds using water surface ...
Coreid Bug
Thasus neocalifornicus
One of the largest leaf-footed bugs in North America with vivid nymph coloration....
Cotton Stainer Bug
Dysdercus suturellus
A red and black bug that stains cotton bolls by introducing fungal spores while feeding....
Cottony Cushion Scale
Icerya purchasi
A scale insect with a distinctive white fluted egg sac that devastated California's citrus industry ...
Creeping Water Bug
Ilyocoris cimicoides
A robust aquatic bug that crawls along pond bottoms and delivers a painful bite....
Decula Periodical Cicada
Magicicada septendecula
The smallest of the 17-year periodical cicada species with a distinctive ticking call. It is often t...
Dirt-colored Seed Bug
Ozophora picturata
A tiny, cryptically colored seed bug found in leaf litter and soil surfaces across the eastern Unite...
Dog-Day Cicada
Neotibicen canicularis
A large green and black annual cicada that sings during the hottest days of summer. Its buzzing call...
Elm Seed Bug
Arocatus melanocephalus
A small seed bug native to southern Europe that has become an invasive nuisance pest in the northwes...
Empress Cicada
Pomponia imperatoria
The largest cicada species in the world with a wingspan up to 200 mm. Found in the rainforests of Pe...
European Chinch Bug
Ischnodemus sabuleti
A small, elongate seed bug that feeds on rushes and grasses in wetland habitats across Europe. It ha...
European Lantern Bug
Dictyophara europaea
A striking planthopper with an elongated, cone-shaped head projection found in dry grasslands across...
Flatid Planthopper
Metcalfa pruinosa
A small waxy-white planthopper native to North America that has invaded Europe. Nymphs produce long ...
Flower Bug
Orius insidiosus
A tiny predatory bug widely used in biological pest control against thrips and aphids. Despite its s...
Frosted Pine Aphid
Cinara pilicornis
A large brown aphid covered in waxy powder that forms colonies on spruce twigs. It produces copious ...
Giant Bornean Lanternfly
Pyrops whiteheadi
A spectacular lanternfly from Borneo with an elongated horn-like head process and vivid coloring. Th...
Giant Water Bug
Lethocerus grandis
One of the largest true bugs in the world, a fierce aquatic predator capable of catching frogs, fish...
Giant Water Bug
Lethocerus maximus
One of the largest true bugs in the world, a powerful aquatic predator with raptorial forelegs. It c...
Giant Water Bug
Lethocerus americanus
One of the largest true bugs. Powerful predator that catches fish, frogs, and even small snakes. Mal...
Giant Water Bug
Lethocerus indicus
One of the largest true bugs, eaten as a delicacy in Southeast Asian cuisine....
Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
Homalodisca vitripennis
A large leafhopper that spreads Pierce's disease bacteria devastating to grapevines. It feeds on xyl...
Ground Pearl
Margarodes vitis
A subterranean scale insect whose encysted nymphs resemble tiny golden pearls....
Harlequin Bug
Murgantia histrionica
A boldly patterned stink bug with striking black and orange or red markings arranged in a harlequin ...
Hawthorn Shieldbug
Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale
A large green-and-red shieldbug common on hawthorn trees across Europe. It produces a strong, pungen...
Helicopter Damselfly
Megaloprepus caerulatus
The largest damselfly in the world with a wingspan approaching 19 centimeters....
Helmet Treehopper
Membracis foliatia
A Neotropical treehopper with a large, laterally compressed pronotal crest shaped like a leaf. Its b...
Kermes Scale
Kermes vermilio
Source of kermes dye, one of the oldest known red dyes. Used since ancient Egyptian and Roman times....
Kissing Bug
Triatoma sanguisuga
A dark brown to black blood-feeding assassin bug with orange or red markings along the edges of its ...
Kissing Bug
Rhodnius prolixus
The principal vector of Chagas disease in Latin America. Named because it bites sleeping humans near...
Lac Insect
Kerria lacca
Produces lac resin — the raw material for shellac, used in wood finishes, food glazing, and pharmace...
Lace Bug
Corythucha ciliata
A tiny bug with extraordinary lace-like transparent wing covers that resemble intricate stained glas...
Lanternfly
Pyrops candelaria
Striking planthoppers with elongated snouts once believed to be luminous (hence lanternfly). The ext...
Leaf-footed Bug
Leptoglossus phyllopus
A brown bug with flattened leaf-like expansions on its hind tibiae. It feeds on fruits and seeds of ...
Leaf-footed Bug
Leptoglossus occidentalis
A medium to large brown bug with a distinctive white zigzag band across the wings and flattened, lea...
Lined Stink Bug
Banasa dimidiata
A small green shield-shaped stink bug with a rounded body found on a wide variety of deciduous trees...
Locust Treehopper
Thelia bimaculata
A large, dull-colored treehopper found on black locust trees across eastern North America. It produc...
Long-Nosed Lanternfly
Pyrops sultanus
A large Malaysian lanternfly with an extremely elongated head projection and colorful spotted wings....
Madagascan Flatid Leaf Bug
Phromnia rosea
Nymphs cluster together on stems to form structures resembling pink and white flower blossoms. Each ...
Milkweed Assassin Bug
Zelus longipes
A slender, brightly colored assassin bug with red and black markings. It is a generalist predator co...
Milkweed Bug
Oncopeltus fasciatus
A medium-sized bug with bold orange-red and black warning coloration. It feeds on milkweed seeds and...
Moss Bug
Peloridiopsis zealandica
A tiny living fossil from New Zealand that feeds on mosses in ancient southern beech forests. The fa...
Moss Bug
Peloridium hammoniorum
A tiny, flattened, living fossil found only in moist moss and liverwort beds in the Southern Hemisph...
Neotropical Backswimmer
Buenoa antigone
A small aquatic bug that swims upside-down using its long oar-like hind legs. Its pale ventral surfa...
Neotropical Cotton Stainer
Dysdercus peruvianus
A bright red and black seed bug that feeds on cotton bolls and malvaceous plants. Its feeding stains...
Neotropical Green Stink Bug
Nezara viridula
A bright green shield bug with a wide, flat body and triangular scutellum. It is one of the most des...
Neotropical Lace Bug
Leptopharsa heveae
A tiny transparent-winged lace bug that feeds on rubber trees in South American plantations. Its win...
Neotropical Shield Bug
Edessa meditabunda
A medium-sized green and brown shield-shaped stink bug common in South American agriculture. It is a...
Neotropical Toe-Biter
Belostoma elongatum
A large aquatic predatory bug with flattened body and powerful raptorial forelegs. It is common in S...
Oak Treehopper
Platycotis vittata
A colorful treehopper that feeds on oak twigs in eastern North America. Females exhibit maternal car...
Ornate Shieldbug
Eurydema ornata
A vividly patterned shield bug with highly variable red, orange, white, or yellow markings on a blac...
Parent Bug
Elasmucha grisea
A birch-feeding shieldbug remarkable for its extended maternal care behavior. Females stand guard ov...
Peanut-Head Bug
Fulgora laternaria
A large planthopper with a bizarre inflated head capsule resembling a peanut or an alligator. When t...
Pennsylvania Ambush Bug
Phymata pennsylvanica
A small chunky yellow and brown bug with thickened raptorial forelegs that hides in flower heads to ...
Periodical Cicada
Magicicada septendecim
Emerges in massive synchronized broods every 17 years. Nymphs live underground feeding on tree root ...
Periodical Cicada
Magicicada tredecim
A cicada that spends exactly 13 years underground before emerging en masse....
Pine Spittlebug
Aphrophora cribrata
A large spittlebug that feeds on pine and other conifers, producing masses of froth on branches. Hea...
Planthopper
Flatida rosea
A delicate, pinkish-white planthopper that closely resembles a flower petal when resting on vegetati...
Psyllid
Diaphorina citri
A small sap-sucking insect that vectors citrus greening disease, the most devastating citrus disease...
Rhododendron Leafhopper
Graphocephala fennahi
A brightly colored red and blue-green leafhopper that feeds on rhododendrons. It vectors a fungus th...
Ricaniid Planthopper
Ricania speculum
A broad-winged planthopper with dark, glossy wings held tent-like over its body. It is a pest of tea...
Rice Stink Bug
Oebalus pugnax
A slender, straw-colored stink bug that is the most damaging hemipteran pest of rice in the Americas...
Shield Bug
Palomena prasina
Also called stink bugs for the foul-smelling liquid they release when disturbed. Changes color from ...
Shield Bug
Graphosoma italicum
A brilliantly striped red and black shield bug found across southern Europe. Its bold warning colora...
Singing Water Boatman
Micronecta scholtzi
The loudest animal relative to body size on Earth. This 2 mm aquatic bug produces mating calls reach...
Small Milkweed Bug
Lygaeus kalmii
A boldly patterned red-and-black seed bug that feeds on milkweed seeds and sequesters toxic cardiac ...
South American Brown Stink Bug
Euschistus heros
A dull brown shield bug and the most economically damaging stink bug in Brazilian soybean agricultur...
South American Leaf-Footed Bug
Leptoglossus zonatus
A brown coreid bug with expanded leaf-like hind tibiae and a pale zigzag band across the forewings. ...
South American Spittlebug
Deois flavopicta
A dark brown and yellow spittlebug that is a major pest of tropical pasture grasses in Brazil. Nymph...
Spined Soldier Bug
Podisus maculiventris
A beneficial predatory stink bug with prominent shoulder spines and a mottled brown body. It feeds o...
Spittlebug
Cercopis vulnerata
A black and red froghopper whose nymphs live underground feeding on root xylem....
Spittlebug
Philaenus spumarius
A small, stout brown bug whose nymphs produce masses of frothy white "spittle" on plant stems. The f...
Spotted Lanternfly
Lycorma delicatula
A colorful invasive planthopper from China threatening vineyards, orchards, and hardwood forests in ...
Squash Bug
Anasa tristis
A flat, dark grayish-brown bug that is a major pest of squash and pumpkin plants. When crushed, it e...
Superb Green Cicada
Neotibicen superbus
A large and strikingly green cicada of the American Southwest with a powerful buzzing song. It is on...
Swamp Cicada
Neotibicen tibicen
A large dark cicada with green markings and a loud droning call heard in late summer. It is often ca...
Sycamore Seed Bug
Belonochilus numenius
A seed bug native to North America that feeds exclusively on sycamore seeds. It has recently invaded...
Table Mountain Ghost Frog Assassin Bug
Reduvius tabulensis
A rare assassin bug found only on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. It preys on small inver...
Thorn Bug
Umbonia crassicornis
Extraordinary treehopper with a thorn-shaped pronotum that makes it look exactly like a plant thorn ...
Thorn Bug
Umbonia spinosa
A large Central American treehopper with a tall, laterally compressed pronotal spine. When perched o...
Thorn-Mimic Treehopper
Enchenopa binotata
A small treehopper with a hump-shaped pronotum that mimics a plant thorn or bud. It is a complex of ...
Thread-legged Bug
Emesaya brevipennis
An extremely slender assassin bug with stick-like legs that hunts in spider webs. It plucks web stra...
Toad Bug
Gelastocoris oculatus
A warty bug that closely resembles a tiny toad and hops along stream banks....
Treble-bar Planthopper
Issus coleoptratus
A stout brown planthopper found on ivy and other climbing plants in Europe. Its nymphs possess inter...
Treehopper
Cladonota benitezi
A bizarre treehopper with an elaborate pronotal helmet covered in ball-like projections....
Two-lined Spittlebug
Prosapia bicincta
A black spittlebug with two vivid red-orange transverse bands across its wings, common in turf grass...
Ugandan Frog Leafhopper
Batracomorphus ruthae
One of seven new frog-like leafhoppers discovered in Uganda's Kibale National Park in 2025. Named in...
Water Boatman
Corixa punctata
A small, oval aquatic bug with oar-like hind legs fringed with swimming hairs. Unlike most aquatic b...
Water Boatman
Sigara alternata
A small oval aquatic bug that swims right-side up using its flattened oar-like hind legs. Unlike mos...
Water Scorpion
Nepa cinerea
A flat aquatic bug that lurks in shallow water resembling a dead leaf. It breathes through a long ta...
Water Strider
Halobates sericeus
The only insect that lives on the open ocean surface. It skates on surface tension hundreds of miles...
Water Strider
Gerris lacustris
Walks on water using hydrophobic leg hairs that trap air. Each leg has thousands of microscopic groo...
Wax Scale
Ceroplastes destructor
A scale insect that covers itself with a thick waxy dome for protection....
Wax-Tailed Planthopper
Pterodictya reticularis
A Neotropical planthopper that produces long waxy tail filaments from its abdomen. These white wax s...
Wheel Bug
Arilus cristatus
The largest assassin bug in North America, named for the distinctive cogwheel-shaped crest on its th...
White-Tipped Planthopper
Siphanta acuta
A bright green, wedge-shaped planthopper with white-tipped wings that mimics a small leaf. It is a c...
Whitefly
Bemisia tabaci
A tiny sap-sucking insect that transmits over 100 plant viruses worldwide. It is one of the most des...
Woolly Apple Aphid
Eriosoma lanigerum
An aphid covered in waxy white filaments that forms colonies on apple tree bark and roots. Heavy inf...