True Bugs of Oregon - Nature Photography, up close, by Phil Huntley-Franck

DEFINITIONS:
I've long called insects bugs. Likewise, I've called bugs insects. And I will continue to use the words interchangeably. However, since photographing and identifying them, I've learned that only "True Bugs" are truly bugs. By definition (American Heritage Dictionary) "True Bugs" are a wingless or four-winged insect of the order Hemiptera, especially of the suborder Heteroptera, including the bedbug, louse, stink bug, flat bug, broad-shouldered bug and chinch bug, having mouthparts adapted for piercing and sucking. True Bugs also include the suborder Heteroptera, which includes Cicadas and various hoppers, as well as suborder Sternorrhyncha, plant-parasitic Hemipterans, like aphids. Insects, on the other hand, are defined as any of numerous usually small arthropod animals of the class Insecta, having an adult stage characterized by three pairs of legs and a body segmented into head, thorax, and abdomen and usually having two pairs of wings (flies have only one pair). Insects include the flies, crickets, mosquitoes, beetles, butterflies, bees, wasps, grasshoppers, etc. and any of various similar arthropod animals, such as spiders, centipedes, and ticks.

PURPOSE:
This image gallery has been created to assist visitors with the identification of True Bugs.

As in every yard, there are a myriad different insects and bugs to be found, and I've barely scratched the surface - I seem to discover new visitors and residents every day of "Bug Season" (for me that's March through early October). As I find, photograph and identify new True Bugs, they will be added to the gallery.

PHOTOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS AND DATES:
Currently, the True Bug identification on this page is specific to those that show up in and around my yard. These True Bugs, however, are also found in many other parts of the United States.

Unless otherwise noted, all images were taken in Northern Douglas County, Oregon.

The date each photograph was taken appears under each thumbnail image. The sex of each specimen, if known, is also indicated under each thumbnail.

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There's True Bugs in My Yard

suborder Auchenorrhyncha - Free-living Hemipterans
- superfamily Cicadoidea
  - family Cercopidae - Spittlebugs
    - genus Aphrophora
      - Aphrophora permutata - Douglas-fir Spittlebug
    - genus Philaenus
      - Philaenus spumarius - Meadow Spittlebug
  - family Cicadellidae - Leafhoppers
    - subfamily Aphrodinae
      - genus Aphrodes
    - subfamily Cicadellinae - Sharpshooters
      - genus Graphocephala
        
        subgenus Hordnia (no taxon)
        
        Graphocephala atropunctata - Blue-green Sharpshooter
    - subfamily Deltocephalinae
      - genus Allygus
        
        Allygus mixtus
      - genus Colladonus
      - genus Fieberiella
        
        Fieberiella florii - Privet Leafhopper
      - genus Osbornellus
        
        Osbornellus borealis
      - genus Scaphytopius
        
        Scaphytopius Acutus
    - subfamily Gyponinae
      - genus Gyponana
      - genus Ponana
        
        Ponana pectoralis
    - subfamily Macropsinae
      - genus Macropsis
        
        Macropsis fuscula - Brambleberry Leafhopper
    - subfamily Typhlocybinae
      - genus Empoasca
        
        Empoasca elongella
  - family Cicadidae - Cicadas
    - subfamily Tibicininae
      - genus Okanagana
        
        Okanagana occidentalis
      - genus Platypedia
        
        Platypedia areolata
  - family Membracidae - Treehoppers
    - genus Platycotis
      - Platycotis vittata - Oak Treehopper
- superfamily Fulgoroidea
  - family Achilidae - Achilid Planthoppers
    - genus Synecdoche
      - Synecdoche nemoralis

suborder Heteroptera - True Bugs
- family Alydidae - Broad-headed Bugs
  - genus Megalotomus
    - Megalotomus quinquespinosus
- family Aradidae - Flat Bugs
  - genus Mezira
- family Coreidae - Leaf-footed Bugs
  - genus Leptoglossus
    - Leptoglossus occidentalis - Western Conifer Seed Bug
- family Miridae - Plant Bugs
  - subfamily Bryocorinae
    - genus Campyloneura
      - Campyloneura virgula
  - subfamily Deraeocorinae
    - genus Deraeocoris
  - subfamily Mirinae
    - tribe Mirini
      - genus Lygus - Lygus bugs
      - genus Phytocoris
        
        Phytocoris varipes
      - genus Stenotus
        
        Stenotus binotatus - Two-spotted Grass Bug
  - subfamily Orthotylinae
    - tribe Orthotylini
      - genus Heterotoma
        
        Heterotoma merioptera
      - genus Orthotylus
  - subfamily Phylinae
    - tribe Phylini
      - genus Lepidargyrus
        
        Lepidargyrus ancorifer
- family Nabidae - Damsel Bugs
  - subfamily Nabinae
    - genus Nabis
- family Reduviidae - Assassin Bugs
  - subfamily Harpactorinae
    - genus Rhynocoris
      - (species) Rhynocoris ventralis
        
        subspecies Rhynocoris ventralis ventralis
    - genus Zelus
      - Zelus tetracanthus
- family Rhopalidae - Scentless Plant Bugs
  - genus Boisea
    - Boisea rubrolineata - Western Boxelder Bug
- family Tingidae - Lace Bugs
  - genus Corythucha
    - Corythucha cerasi
- superfamily Lygaeoidea
  - family Lygaeidae - Seed Bugs
    - subfamily Ischnorhynchinae
      - genus Kleidocerys
    - subfamily Orsillinae
      - genus Nysius
  - family Rhyparochromidae - Dirt-colored Seed Bugs
    - tribe Megalonotini
      - genus Megalonotus
        
        Megalonotus sabulicola
- superfamily Pentatomoidea
  - family Pentatomidae - Stink Bugs
    - subfamily Pentatominae
      - tribe Carpocorini
        
        genus Cosmopepla
        
        Cosmopepla intergressa
        
        genus Euschistus
        
        Euschistus conspersus
        
        Euschistus inflatus
        
        genus Holcostethus
        
        Holcostethus abbreviatus
      - tribe Nezarini
        
        genus Chinavia
        
        Chinavia hilaris - Green Stink Bug
        
        genus Chlorochroa
        
        subgenus Chlorochroa - no taxon
        
        Chlorochroa ligata - Conchuela Bug
        
        Chlorochroa rossiana
      - tribe Pentatomini
        
        genus Banasa
        
        Banasa dimiata
        
        genus Thyanta
        
        Thyanta pallidovirens - Red-shouldered Stink Bug
  - family scutteleridae - Shield-backed Bugs
    - genus eurygaster
  - family Thyreocoridae - Ebony Bugs
- superfamily Pyrrhocoroidea
  - family Largidae - Bordered Plant Bugs
    - genus Largus
      - Largus californicus

suborder Sternorrhyncha - Plant-parasitic Hemipterans
- superfamily Aphidoidea
  - family Aphididae - Aphids
    - subfamily Aphidinae
      - tribe Macrosiphini
        
        genus Sitobion
- superfamily Phylloxeroidea
  - family Adelgidae