True bug fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are true bugs?

True bugs are insects in the order Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera. This group includes insects such as shield bugs, stink bugs, assassin bugs and water striders. They have six legs, antennae and piercing-sucking mouthparts called a rostrum. Their front wings are usually partly hardened and partly transparent, and they are usually held flat over the body when at rest. Hemiptera also includes other groups such as hoppers and aphids, so not every hemipteran is a true bug. A cotton harlequin bug.

An adult cotton harlequin bug feeds by piercing stems and sucking plant juices.

Where do true bugs live?

True bugs live in many habitats, including forests, woodlands, gardens, wetlands and urban areas. Some live on leaves and stems, some hide under bark or among leaf litter, and some live on the surface of freshwater. At Field of Mars Reserve, true bugs are likely to use shrub habitats, tree habitats, leaf litter and water habitats depending on the species.

Water striders are true bugs that hunt on the surface of still water.

What do true bugs eat?

Most true bugs are herbivores that feed by piercing plant tissues and sucking liquid food. The rostrum contains fine structures for cutting and feeding, and saliva is sent into the food source before the liquid food is sucked back up. Some species, such as cotton harlequin bugs and crusader bugs, feed on shoots, stems and other plant parts. Others, such as assassin bugs, are predators that pierce prey and suck out the digested fluids. Water striders are predators too, feeding on small animals trapped on the water surface.

Common assassin bugs are predatory true bugs that pierce prey with their rostrum.

What is the life cycle of a true bug?

A true bug begins life as an egg. It hatches into a nymph, which looks like a small, wingless version of the adult. As it grows, the nymph moults several times before becoming an adult. This is called incomplete metamorphosis because there is no caterpillar or pupa stage. In some species, such as the cotton harlequin bug, the female may guard the eggs until they hatch.

Some female true bugs, such as cotton harlequin bugs, guard their eggs until they hatch.

True bug nymphs look like small wingless adults and moult as they grow.

What adaptations do true bugs have to help them survive?

True bugs have many adaptations that help them survive. Their rostrum allows them to pierce plants or prey and feed on liquids. Many species use camouflage, warning colours or strong smells for protection. Crusader bugs can produce a strong smell to deter predators. Cotton harlequin bugs are brightly coloured jewel bugs, and their enlarged scutellum covers the wings, which can make them look a little like beetles. Water striders have long legs that let them skate on the water surface. Assassin bugs are adapted for hunting, using ambush behaviour and saliva that immobilises prey.

Colour, body shape and strong smells help some true bugs avoid predators.

Why are true bugs important?

True bugs are an important part of food webs. Plant-feeding species move energy from plants into the food chain, while predatory species such as assassin bugs and water striders help control other invertebrates. Some true bugs can damage crops or garden plants, but many are simply part of the biodiversity of bushland, gardens and freshwater habitats.

True bugs are part of food webs as both plant feeders and prey for larger animals.

How can you help true bugs?

Based on the habitats and feeding roles described above, you can help true bugs by protecting native plants, keeping some leaf litter and bark habitat, caring for ponds and creeks, and avoiding unnecessary broad-spectrum insecticides. Planting a variety of local species can also help because different true bugs feed, hunt or shelter on different plants and in different microhabitats.

Protecting bushland helps true bugs and many other invertebrates.

Related fact sheets

More invertebrate fact sheets

• Invertebrate fact sheets – Explore insects, spiders, molluscs and other small animals found in Sydney and NSW.
• Insects fact sheet – Learn about insect features, life cycles and the roles insects play in ecosystems.
• Plant hopper fact sheet – Compare another sap-feeding insect in the order Hemiptera.
• Cicada fact sheet – Discover another hemipteran insect that feeds on plant sap.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Leaf litter habitats fact sheet – Leaf litter shelters many true bugs and other invertebrates.
• Tree habitats fact sheet – Leaves, bark and branches provide food and shelter for many true bugs.
• Water habitats fact sheet – Water striders and other water bugs live on or around freshwater.
• Eucalypt forest fact sheet – Explore the local bushland context for many insect food webs.
• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – Learn about the nearby reserve and its habitat diversity.

Food webs and ecological relationships

• Spider fact sheet – Many spiders prey on insects and other small arthropods.
• Birds fact sheet – Many birds feed on insects and other small animals.
• Amphibians fact sheet – Frogs and other amphibians feed on insects and use wet habitats.

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Learn more about insects, spiders, habitats and ecosystems found in Sydney and NSW.