The Big-Eyed Bugs, Chinch Bugs, and Seed Bugs (Lygaeoidea)

Abstract

The Lygaeoidea, representing the second largest superfamily in the infraorder Pentatomomorpha, are one of the most diverse groups of Heteroptera with about 700 genera and more than 4,200 species in the world. In the Neotropics, about 184 genera and 836 species are included in 12 of the world’s 16 families. For each family, we provide a diagnosis; an overview of the classifi cation; information on the general life history, ecology, and economic importance; and comprehensive keys to subfamilies, tribes, and genera for the Neotropical Region, including Mexico, Central and South America, and the West Indies.