Cicadas True Bugs and Relatives: Hemiptera

Most true bugs and other hemipterans suck fluids from leaves, stems, bark, flowers, seeds, and fruit, as well as algae and funguses. Other true bugs prey on living insects, spiders, slugs, snails, fish, frogs, and tadpoles. Some species prefer to feed on recently dead or dying insects. Some hemipterans, such as male scale insects, do not feed at all as adults. A few species such as bed bugs are parasites (PAE-rih-saits) on birds and mammals. Parasites live on another organism, or host, from which they obtain their food. The host is harmed but usually not killed by the parasite.