Acanthosomatidae

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Family of true bugs

title: "Acanthosomatidae" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["acanthosomatidae", "heteroptera-families"] description: "Family of true bugs" topic_path: "general/acanthosomatidae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthosomatidae" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Family of true bugs ::

|image = Acanthosomatidae_sizes.jpg |image_caption = Acanthosomatidae - relative sizes |taxon = Acanthosomatidae |authority = Signoret, 1864 |subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies |subdivision = Acanthosomatinae

Blaudusinae

Ditomotarsinae ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Oncacontias_vittatus.jpg" caption="''[[Oncacontias vittatus]]''"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/HEMI_Acanthosomatidae_Rhopalimorpha_lineolaris_last_instar.png" caption="''[[Rhopalimorpha lineolaris]]'' juvenile, last instar"] ::

Acanthosomatidae is a family of Hemiptera, commonly named shield bugs and sometimes stink bugs. There are currently recognized 200 species in 55 genera, making it is one of the least diverse families within Pentatomoidea. The Acanthosomatidae species are found throughout the world, being most abundant in high-latitude temperate regions and in subtropical regions at high altitudes.

One of the most well-known species in Acanthosomatidae is the hawthorn shield bug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale), which is found throughout Europe and also northern Siberia; this species is typically green or brown in color and has a distinctive shape with two projections on its thorax. It feeds on a variety of plants, including hawthorn, rowan, and cherry.

Description

Acanthosomatidae have heads that are keeled laterally and possess a pair of five-segmented antennae. The mesosternum has a strongly projecting keel. The tarsi of the legs are bisegmented. The second visible abdominal sternite has an elongate spine that projects forwards. The spiracles of the second abdominal segment are concealed by the metapleura. Abdominal sternite III has paired trichobothria. In males, sternite VIII is exposed and there is a specialised genital capsule. In females, one or two pairs of Pendergrast's organs are present in the abdomen (sometimes absent, e.g. Elasmucha) and sternite VII has an emarginate posterior margin.

In general appearance, Acanthosomatidae are similar to Pentatomidae. Various sources distinguish them based on the number of tarsal segments being two in acanthosomatids and three in pentatomids. However, some pentatomids have bisegmented tarsi as well.

Ecology

Acanthosomatidae are mostly herbivores on trees and shrubs. Host plants include Ficus, Hakea, Carex, Juncus, Cladium and Dactylis. There are also records of predation (including cannibalism) and scavenging on carrion.

Maternal care

Many species have females which take care of their offspring, guarding the eggs and nymphs. In these species, the Pendergrast's organs are absent or reduced and non-functional. Other species have a more limited form of care: females smear their eggs with secretions from the Pendergrast's organs (which may repel predators and parasitoids), then abandon the eggs. Egg smearing is the ancestral behaviour.

Genera

Examples of genera and species:

Subfamily [[Acanthosomatinae]]

Subfamily [[Blaudusinae]]

Subfamily [[Ditomotarsinae]]

Gallery

File:Acanthosoma_haemorrhoidale01.jpg|Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale File:Bunte_Blattwanze_Elasmostethus_interstinctus.jpg|Elasmostethus interstinctus File:Cyphostethus_tristriatus01.jpg|Cyphostethus tristriatus File:Elasmucha_grisea01.jpg|Elasmucha grisea File:Elasmucha ferrugata wwalas 1.jpg|Elasmucha ferrugata File:Uhlunga_typica_2020_03_28_iN_41754155_b.jpg|Uhlunga typica

References

References

  1. Faúndez, E. I. 2009. Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Acrophyma Bergroth, 1917 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Acanthosomatidae). Zootaxa. 2137: 57-65
  2. FaúNdez, Eduardo I.. (2014-02-28). "A new genus for a Chilean species of Acanthosomatidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)". Zootaxa.
  3. Thomas, Donald B.. (1991). "The Acanthosomatidae (Heteroptera) of North America". The Pan-Pacific Entomologist.
  4. "Family ACANTHOSOMATIDAE".
  5. Larivière, M-C. (1995). "Fauna of New Zealand 35: Cydnidae, Acanthosomatidae, and Pentatomidae (Insecta: Heteroptera): systematics, geographical distribution, and bioecology". Manaaki Whenua Press.
  6. (2013). "Stink bugs (Pentatomidae) and parent bugs (Acanthosomatidae) of Ontario and adjacent areas: A key to species and a review of the fauna". Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification.
  7. Rider, D. A.. (2000-07-01). "Stirotarsinae, New Subfamily for Stirotarsus abnormis Bergroth (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)". Annals of the Entomological Society of America.
  8. (2015). "Maternal care in Acanthosomatinae (Insecta: Heteroptera: Acanthosomatidae)—correlated evolution with morphological change". BMC Evolutionary Biology.

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acanthosomatidaeheteroptera-families