BUG encyclopedia topics | Reference.com

BUG - 23 reference results

wheel bug: see assassin bug.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

HomeTeam Pest Defense
Get $30 Off Pest Control Services Start Protecting Your Home Today.
www.PestDefense.com

Master Pest Termite
Termite and Pest Control Call (800) 983-7648 for an Estimate
Sponsored Results www.masterpesttermite.com

water bug

water bug, name for a large number of water-living bugs, comprising several families of the order Hemiptera (true bugs). All have jointed, sharp, sucking beaks, breathe air, and undergo gradual metamorphosis (see insect). They are found on or below the surface of almost all quiet streams and ponds; a few forms live in rapidly flowing water. The water boatmen (family Corixidae) are abundant in lakes and ponds throughout most of the world. They are ovalbodied, with flattened, oarlike hind legs used for propulsion; the short front legs are used for gathering food and for anchoring the bug to aquatic vegetation. Water boatmen store air in a concavity beneath the wings and are thus able to remain submerged for long periods. They feed on algae and other small aquatic organisms and, unlike the predaceous water bugs, do not bite humans. The other water bugs are carnivorous and prey, according to their size, on young fishes, snails, crustaceans, and the adults and larvae of other insects. The backswimmers (family Notonectidae) resemble the water boatmen in appearance, but swim upside down. The water striders, or water skaters (family Gerridae), have two pairs of long, slender legs that enable them to move over the surface film of quiet waters, where they often congregate in large numbers. They also have a pair of short, grasping forelegs, used for catching insects on the surface. All live in freshwater except those of the genus Halobates, which are found in oceans. The giant water bugs (family Belostomatidae), with wide, flat bodies and grasping forelegs, are the world's largest bugs and among the largest of the insects. Members of some North American species grow 2 in. (5 cm) long, while one South American form attains a length of more than 4 in. (10 cm). They fly well and are attracted to lights at night, hence their other common name, electric-light bug. In some species the female glues her eggs to the back of the male, where they remain until they hatch. The water scorpions (family Nepidae) are named for the breathing tube that protrudes from the rear of the abdomen. There are several other water bug families. The term water bug is also sometimes applied to the various water beetles. True water bugs are classified in the phylum Arthropoda, class Insecta, order Hemiptera.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

squash bug

squash bug, name for a true bug, Anasa tristis, found throughout the United States and S Canada. It damages squash, pumpkin, and related plants by sucking the juices from leaves and stems. The adult is dark brown and measures about 2/3 in. (16 mm) long. The eggs are laid in the late spring and hatch in two weeks. The green larvae, or nymphs, soon turn brown or gray. Birds feed on both nymphs and adults, but the most effective natural enemy is the larva of a tachinid fly, which develops within the body of an adult or larval squash bug, feeding on and eventually killing the host. The squash bug is classified in the phylum Arthropoda, class Insecta, order Hemiptera, and family Coreidae.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

red bug

red bug, name for various red insects. Chief among them are the cotton stainer of the S United States, which pierces the seeds of the cotton plant and discolors the fibers, and the larva of the harvest mite, or chigger, the cause of red-bug dermatitis.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

millennium bug

millennium bug: see Year 2000 problem.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

lightning bug

lightning bug: see firefly.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

kissing bug

kissing bug: see assassin bug.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

electric-light bug

electric-light bug: see water bug.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

chinch bug

chinch bug, small North American bug, Blissus leucopterus, of the seed bug family. It feeds on small grains, corn, and other grasses, sucking the plant juices and doing much damage to crops, particularly in the Midwest. The adults, about 1/8 in. (3.5 mm) long, have black bodies with black and white wings, red legs, and red spots at the bases of the antennae. Both long- and short-winged forms occur. There are two generations a year. The adults overwinter in sheltered places, emerging in spring to feed on early maturing grains, such as wheat and oats. They lay their eggs on the bases of the grasses or in the ground, and the nymphs, or larvae (see insect), emerge in about a week. Red when they emerge, the nymphs mature in five stages, turning gray or brown. They feed on the same grasses as their parents. When they reach the adult stage, in about six weeks, they migrate on foot to later-maturing grains, such as corn, which are still tender; there they lay the eggs that give rise to the second generation of the season. The bedbug, a member of a different bug family, is sometimes called chinch in the South. Chinch bugs are classified in the phylum Arthropoda, class Insecta, order Hemiptera, family Lygaeidae.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

bug

bug, common name correctly applied to insects belonging to the order Hemiptera, although members of the order Homoptera (e.g., mealybug) are sometimes referred to as bugs, as are other insects in general. The true bugs (Hemipterans) have a characteristic pair of front wings that are partially thickened and darkened at the base and partially membranous at the apex. Development is gradual through an incomplete metamorphosis with a number of nymphal stages before the reproductively mature adult stage is reached. Most bugs are terrestrial, but many are aquatic (e.g., various water bugs).

Although bugs vary greatly in size, color, and physical appearance, they all have piercing-sucking mouthparts in the form of a jointed beak. Most species suck plant juices (e.g., the squash bug and chinch bug); however, some suck the blood of other insects and spiders (e.g., the assassin bug and backswimmer). Others, such as the bedbug, feed on people and other animals. Many of these insects characteristically secrete defensive substances (e.g., the stinkbug). The true bugs are classified in the phylum Arthropoda, class Insecta, order Hemiptera.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

assassin bug

assassin bug, common name for members of the family Reduviidae, one of the largest and most varied groups belonging to the order Hemiptera (suborder Heteroptera). Assassin bugs are generally brownish to black, medium-sized to large insects, with heads that are elongate and narrow compared to the thorax. The raptorial front legs are used for grasping prey. Most assassin bugs are found on foliage, and some occasionally enter houses. The majority of species are predaceous on other insects, but a few are bloodsucking and will bite humans if carelessly handled. The bite of some species is painless, while the bite of others is extremely painful, resulting from a venom produced by the bug, the effect of which lasts for months. A painful biter is the common, black, wheel bug (Arilus cristatus), easily identified by the semicircular crest resembling a cogwheel on the top of its prothorax. Another is the masked hunter (Reduvius personatus), often found in houses where it preys on bedbugs and other insects. The adults often bite humans around the mouth, hence its other common name, the kissing bug. In the Southwest assassin bugs of the genus Triatoma are common. Called conenoses or Mexican bedbugs, they also invade houses and may bite humans. In Central and South America certain species of this genus are the vectors for a highly fatal trypanosome disease known as Chagas' disease. Assassin bugs are classified in the phylum Arthropoda, class Insecta, order Hemiptera, family Reduviidae.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

June bug

June bug, name for June beetle and mayfly.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

Croton bug

Croton bug: see cockroach.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

Bug

Bug, Pol. Bug, Ukr. Buh or Zakhidnyy Buh, river, c.480 mi (770 km) long, rising in the Volhynian-Podolian hills, W Ukraine. It flows N along the Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Belarusian borders past Brest and then NW through Poland to join the Vistula River (with the Narew) near Warsaw. It is linked with the Dnieper by the Dnieper-Bug Canal via the Pina River and with the Niemen by the Augustov Canal via the Narva River. The Bug is also known as the Western Bug.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

Bug

Bug or Southern Bug, river, Ukraine: see Buh.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

squash bug

or leaf-footed bug

Any of more than 2,000 widely distributed insect species (family Coreidae), including many important plant pests. Most species are dull-coloured and more than 0.4 in. (10 mm) long. Many have enlarged, flattened extensions on the legs. The North American squash bug (Anasa tristis) is an important pest of squash, melon, and pumpkin (plants in the gourd family). It is basically yellow but is covered with black pits that make it look black. The larvae feed underground, and the piercing and sucking mouthparts of the adults enable them to attack the parts of plants that insecticides rarely penetrate.

Learn more about squash bug with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

sow bug

or wood louse

Sow bug (Oniscus asellus).

Any of certain terrestrial crustaceans of the order Isopoda, especially members of the genus Oniscus. Native to Europe, they have been introduced into North America. Sow bugs grow to 0.7 in. (18 mm) long. The oval, gray body is rather arched and is covered with broad, armourlike plates. Two elbowed antennae extend about half the length of the body, and there are seven pairs of limbs. The sow bug lives in moist places, especially under stones, in moist leaf litter, and in cellars. Seealso pill bug.

Learn more about sow bug with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

Colorado potato beetle

or potato bug

Leaf beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata, family Chrysomelidae) native to western North America. It began feeding on the leaves of cultivated potatoes when the plants were introduced into western North America, and by 1874 it had become an important and widespread pest. It has a hemispherical body, about 0.4 in. (10 mm) long, and is orange-red or yellow, with black stripes on the wing covers. Depending on climate, potato beetles may produce one to three generations each year.

Learn more about Colorado potato beetle with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

pill bug

Pill bugs (Armadillidium vulgare)

Any species of terrestrial crustacean in the genera Armadillidium and Armadillo (both in the order Isopoda), native to Europe and introduced worldwide. Pill bugs (sometimes called wood lice) resemble tiny armadillos in appearance and behaviour; they have a gray, oval body covered with platelike armour and, when disturbed, roll into a ball. They are about 0.75 in. (19 mm) long. Pill bugs live in dry, sunny places, in dry leaf litter, and on forest edges. Seealso sow bug.

Learn more about pill bug with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

firefly

or lightning bug

Any of the nocturnal luminous beetles of the family Lampyridae, consisting of about 1,900 species that inhabit tropical and temperate regions (including the common glowworm). Adult fireflies are 0.2–1 in. (5–25 mm) long and have light-producing organs on the underside of the abdomen. The soft, flattened, dark-brown or black body is often marked with orange or yellow. Some adult fireflies do not eat; others feed on pollen and nectar. Most fireflies produce short, rhythmic flashes in a pattern that is characteristic of the species and an important mating signal.

Learn more about firefly with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

assassin bug

Any of about 4,000 insect species (family Reduviidae) characterized by a thin, necklike structure connecting the narrow head to the body. Many species are common to North and South America. Ranging in size from 0.5 to 1 in. (13–25 mm), assassin bugs use their short, three-segmented beak to suck body fluids from their victims. Most assassin bugs prey on other insects; some, however, suck blood from vertebrates, including humans, and transmit diseases. One species, the large assassin bug, defends itself by accurately “spitting” saliva toxic enough to blind a human.

Learn more about assassin bug with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

June beetle

or May beetle or June bug

June beetle (Phyllophaga rugosa).

Any insect of the genus Phyllophaga, belonging to a widely distributed, plant-feeding scarab beetle subfamily (Melolonthinae). These red-brown beetles commonly appear in the Northern Hemisphere on warm spring evenings and are attracted to lights. Heavy-bodied, they are 0.5–1 in. (1.2–2.5 cm) long and have shiny wing covers. They feed on foliage and flowers at night, sometimes causing considerable damage. The larvae live in the soil, and can destroy crops and kill lawns and pastures by severing the grasses from their roots; they are considered excellent fish bait.

Learn more about June beetle with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.