The Pentatomoidea are characterised by a well-developedscutellum (the hardened extension of thethorax over theabdomen). It can be triangular to semielliptical in shape.[3] Theantennae typically have five segments. Thetarsi usually have two or three segments.[5]
Shield bugs haveglands that produce a foul-smelling liquid, which is useddefensively to deter potential predators.Nymphs have glands on thedorsal surface of theabdomen (dorsal abdominal scent glands). These are often present in adults as well, but adults also develop a pair of glands on themetathorax (third segment of the thorax), these being the metathoracic scent glands.[6][7]
The nymphs and adults have distinctivepiercing mouthparts, withmandibles andmaxillae modified to form a piercingstylet sheathed within a modifiedlabium. The stylet is used to suck sap from plants, or in some cases to suck blood from other animals, such as in the predatory subfamilyAsopinae.[8]
PentatomidaeLeach, 1815 – known as stink bugs, it is the largest family in Pentatomoidea. It contains around 900 genera and over 4700 species.[16]
Phloeidae – large mottled brown and flattened bugs found strictly in theNeotropical realm. It is composed on only 2 genera and 3 species. They are known to exhibit strong maternal care.[13]
Plataspidae – found in Asia, particularly eastern Asia, although a few species ofCoptosoma occur in thePalearctic. They are round plant-feeding bugs. It has about 59 genera and 560 species.[16]
Saileriolidae – only recently removed from inclusion within Urostylididae.
Scutelleridae – known as jewel bugs or shield-backed bugs. Composed of 81 genera and about 450 species.
Tessaratomidae – known as giant shield bugs because they are usually relatively large. Has about 55 genera and 240 species worldwide (mainly in the Old World tropics).[2][3][19]
Thaumastellidae – small bugs usually found under rocks in tropical Africa and the Middle East. It contains only one genus and three species. There is some debate to their inclusion within Pentatomoidea.[20]
ThyreocoridaeAmyot & Serville, 1843 – includes the former family, subfamilyCorimelaeninaeUhler, 1872[21] – known as ebony bugs, they are small, oval, shiny black bugs.[22]
Urostylididae – contains about 11 genera and 170 species. They are found in Southern and Eastern Asia.[16]
^KMENT, PETR; VILÍMOVÁ, JITKA (2010). "Thoracic scent efferent system of Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera): a review of terminology".Zootaxa.2706 (1): 1.doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2706.1.1.ISSN1175-5334.
^Clercq, Patrick De (2005), "Stink Bugs, Predatory (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae, Asopinae)",Encyclopedia of Entomology, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 2122–2125,doi:10.1007/0-306-48380-7_4094,ISBN978-0-306-48380-6
^David A. Rider (October 20, 2009)."Classification". Department of Entomology, North Dakota State University. RetrievedApril 29, 2011.
^Faúndez E. I. (2009). "Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Acrophyma Bergroth, 1917 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Acanthosomatidae)".Zootaxa.2137:57–65.doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2137.1.7.
^abP220 Randall T. Schuh, James Alexander Slater,True bugs of the world (Hemiptera:Heteroptera): classification and natural history, Cornell University Press, 1995,ISBN0-8014-2066-0
^P136 Christopher G. MorrisAcademic Press dictionary of science and technology, Gulf Professional Publishing, 1992,ISBN0-12-200400-0
^Jerzy A. Lis (2010). "Pretarsal structures in the family Parastrachiidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomoidea)".Zootaxa.2693:60–62.doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2693.1.5.
^>Costa, James T. (2006-09-30).The Other Insect Societies. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. p. 311.ISBN0-674-02163-0.OCLC67345686.
^Rider, David A.; Schwertner, Cristiano F.; Vilímová, Jitka; Rédei, Dávid; Kment, Petr; Thomas, Donald B. (2018-01-17). "Higher Systematics of the Pentatomoidea".Invasive Stink Bugs and Related Species (Pentatomoidea). Boca Raton : Taylor & Francis, 2017.: CRC Press. pp. 25–202.doi:10.1201/9781315371221-2.ISBN978-1-315-37122-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
^Ryzhkova, Olga V.; Yao, Yunzhi; Kopylov, Dmitry S. (July 2023). "New fossil Kobdocoridae (Heteroptera: Pentatomomorpha) from the Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia, Eastern Russia".Cretaceous Research.147 105509.Bibcode:2023CrRes.14705509R.doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105509.
^Yao, Yunzhi; Cai, Wanzhi; Rider, David A.; Ren, Dong (2013). "Primipentatomidae fam. Nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomomorpha), an extinct insect family from the Cretaceous of north-eastern China".Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.11 (1):63–82.Bibcode:2013JSPal..11...63Y.doi:10.1080/14772019.2011.639814.S2CID86753502.
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