This module is for Grades: 6-8 Welcome!
Hemiptera insect collection, clockwise from top left: stink bug, water bug, Brood X cicadas, bed bugs, and spotted lanternflies
Objective
Identify the positive and negative effects that true bugs have on the environment.
True or False: There is a category of bugs called True Bugs.
If you answered True, you are correct! True bugs belong in the insect order Hemiptera (hem-ip-te-ra). This category of bugs has approximately 80,000 species in the world, and over 3,800 in the United States. Some commonly known true bugs are cicadas, spotted lanternflies, bedbugs, stink bugs, and waterbugs. Most species live for a year or less.
What is the difference between a bug and a true bug?
True bugs are distinguished by their mouthpieces. True bugs suck! Not in a negative way; it's how they survive. Other insects such as honeybees and butterflies use a proboscis that is retractable by rolling it up. True bugs have specialized sucking mouthparts, called a piercing proboscis, which are not retractable. They use piercing proboscises to feed on host organisms. True bugs primarily suck fluids from plants. However, there are some true bugs, like bed bugs, that feed on animals. True bugs, like all insects, use scent or pheromones and touch to communicate. Many true bugs, such as cicadas, use sound and vibrations to communicate.
In this activity you’re going to learn about two types of true Bugs: cicadas and spotted lanternflies. You’ll learn how these bugs impact our ecosystem and agriculture. We’ll also review the measures farmers take to protect their crops and foliage from these pests. Spotted lanternflies and cicadas originate from different regions but are now in the same territories. Let’s discover what makes them unique!
