Pentatomoidea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shield and stink bugs |
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| Acanthosoma labiduroides male | |
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Pentatomomorpha
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Pentatomoidea
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Pentatomoidea is a large group of insects. They are often called shield bugs or stink bugs. You can find them almost everywhere. There are about 7,000 different kinds, or species, of these bugs.
Contents
What Makes Shield and Stink Bugs Special?
These bugs have a few unique features. They all share a special way of eating. They also have a tough shield on their backs.
Their Mouths and Shields
Shield and stink bugs have special mouthparts. These are like a tiny straw. They use this straw to suck up their food.
They also have a very tough shield on their back. This shield is part of their body. It covers their main body section. This hard covering helps to protect them.
Why Are They Called Stink Bugs?
These bugs have a special defense. They have tiny glands between their legs. These glands can make a foul-smelling liquid. This liquid smells really bad!
The bad smell helps to scare away animals. It makes them not want to eat the bugs. Even baby bugs, called 'nymphs', have these stink glands. Both the shield and the bad smell help keep them safe.
Different Kinds of Stink Bugs
There are 15 different families in this group. A family is a way to group similar animals. One of the biggest families is called Pentatomidae.
The Pentatomidae Family
The Pentatomidae family is very well known. Many bugs in this family are called stink bugs. It is the largest group within Pentatomoidea.
This family has about 900 different genera. A genus is a smaller group of very similar species. There are over 4,700 species in the Pentatomidae family alone.
Images for kids
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Tessaratomidae: A young Tessaratoma papillosa bug.
See also
In Spanish: Pentatomoidea para niños
