Plataspidae

Plataspidae (emended by some later authors as "Plataspididae", in violation of ICZN Code Article 29.5) are a family of shield bugs native to the Old World. They are a family of hemipteran insects (true bugs) of the suborder Heteroptera (typical bugs).

Plataspidae
Megacopta cribraria
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Hemiptera
Suborder:
Heteroptera
Superfamily:
Pentatomoidea
Family:
Plataspidae

Dallas, 1851[1]
Genera

> 60 genera

Genera
  • Aphanopneuma
  • Arefbea
  • Bozius
  • Brachyplatys
  • Calacta
  • Cantharodes
  • Capuronia
  • Catabrachyplatys
  • Caternaultiella
  • Ceratocoris
  • Chinacoris
  • Chinanops
  • Codronchus
  • Coptosoma
  • Coptosomoides
  • Cratoplatys
  • Cronion
  • Elapheozygum
  • Emparka
  • Erythrosomaspis
  • Fieberisca
  • Glarocoris
  • Handlirschiella
  • Hemitrochostoma
  • Heterocrates
  • Isoplatys
  • Kuhlgatzia
  • Libyaspis
  • Livingstonisca
  • Madegaschia
  • Megacopta
  • Merinjakia
  • Montandoneus
  • Montandonistella
  • Neobozius
  • Neocratoplatys
  • Neotiarocoris
  • Niamia
  • Oncylaspis
  • Oscula
  • Paracopta
  • Pelioderma
  • Phyllomegacopta
  • Ponsila
  • Ponsilasia
  • Probaenops
  • Pseudoponsila
  • Psocotoma
  • Schizometopus
  • Scleropelta
  • Severiniella
  • Spathocrates
  • Tarichea
  • Tetrisia
  • Teuthocoris
  • Thyreoprana
  • Tiarocoris
  • Tropidotylus
  • Vetora
  • Vigetus

Biology

These bugs are phytophagous, polyphagous or oligophagous, mainly associated with the Fabaceae, but can also feed on plants of other families. Some may feed on fungi.

They harbor microorganisms in their digestive tract, specific to each host species, living in symbiosis with it.

They are gregarious and can be found in large groups.

Social behaviors have been observed in Libyaspis : the adults, well protected by their pronotum and their scutellum covering the entire abdomen, group together at the base of the branches in which the larvae develop, thus preventing the access of predatory ladybug larvae.


Little is known about their biology.

  • Coptosoma scutellatum in Europe
  • Megacopta punctatissima in Asia
  • Coptosoma scutellatum
  • Coptosoma scutellatum in Lithuania
  • Brachyplatys punctipes
  • Coptosoma xanthogramma in Hawaii
  • Megacopta cribraria in Carolina
  • Libyaspis sp in Africa
  • Megacopta punctatissimum in Japan

Distribution

This family is of Old World origin only, found primarily in tropical and subtropical areas. Some species of Coptosoma are found in temperate areas. A few species have, however, been introduced to the American continent and some Pacific islands (such as Hawaii).

Only one genus occurs in Europe, Coptosoma, with only one widely distributed species, Coptosoma scutellatum and three Mediterranean species: C. sandahli in Sicily, C. costale in Cyprus, and C. mucronatum in the Balkans.

Species introduced to America

The Coptosoma xanthogramma species was introduced to Hawaii in 1965.

Two species were introduced to the New World: Megacopta cribraria, introduced in 2009 in Georgia (United States), and Brachyplatys aeneus, introduced in Central America and Florida. M. cribraria quickly spread to other states in the American South. They rarely cause major damage.

References
  1. Dallas, W.S. (1851). Gray, J.E. (ed.). List of the specimens of hemipterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. London: British Museum. p. 61.


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