What’s Bugging You? The True Bugs of the Insect World

You might already know that spiders and millipedes are not insects. But did you know that not all insects are bugs? True bugs belong to the order of insects called Hemiptera, and they are distinguished by having specialized mouthparts that are modified for piercing and sucking. They are also unique in the insect world because they go through incomplete metamorphosis, which means they hatch as nymphs (that’s a “teenage” insect) from their egg, and have no larval or grub stage of growth. They are entirely different from the 30 other orders, which include such insects as beetles, dragonflies, wasps, butterflies and ants. Of the millions of insects on this planet, about 80,000 are true bugs. Let’s meet a few real bugs.
Aphids are perhaps the most common of garden pests. They are often found in the presence of ants, who ranch them for the honeydew they produce and defend the aphids against predators.
Aphids
