Highlights of the Hemiptera BioBlitz

This article was originally published in The Midden – Great Basin National Park: Vol. 20, No. 2, Winter 2020.

By Gretchen Baker, Ecologist

The 2020 BioBlitz focused on True Bugs (Hemiptera). Two experts from Utah State University, Amy Springer and Cody Holthouse, made 12 videos to help people learn more about this often-overlooked order of insects.

“Not all Hemipterans are great... in fact most all of them suck,” said Cody Holthouse. That’s because Hemiptera are differentiated from other insects by having piercing/ sucking mouthparts.

Ants are “farming” aphids on this cottonwood stem. The aphids are sucking plant juices to get protein and execrete extra sugar as “honeyduew”, which the ants eat. The ants help protect the aphids.

NPS Photo by Gretchen Baker

There are three main groups of True Bugs:
1. The Heteroptera (“Different wings”), which include stink bugs, squash bugs, bed bugs, chinch bugs, milkweed bugs, boxelder bugs, backswimmers, water striders, water boatmen, assassin bugs, and more
2. The Auchenorrhyncha (Free-living hemipterans): froghoppers, spittlebugs, cicadas, leafhoppers, planthoppers
3. The Sternorrhnyncha (Plant parasitic hemipterans-some don’t even have legs): aphids, scales, and mealy bugs

Each day of the BioBlitz we held a Zoom meeting so that participants had a way to feel some community. Conversations included what people had found and tips on how to find true bugs. Ken Kingsley, a previous volunteer entomologist for the Park, joined in and shared some of his insights from decades out in the field and time at GRBA. Participants collected in and near their homes (in Texas, Utah, and Nevada) and also in the Park. Overall, we had collections made in Strawberry, Lehman, Baker, Can Young, Snake, and Lexington Canyons.

Unique to the 2020 BioBlitz is that all the lectures were delivered online, allowing viewers
to choose when they wanted to watch them.

I was especially excited when I found ants climbing up plants. I took a closer look and found they were farming aphids. The aphids are really tiny Hemiptera, without legs, that put their piercing, sucking mouthparts right into the plant. They then drink lots of plant juices to get the protein, excreting the extra sugar as “honeydew,” which the ants gladly eat. In return, the ants protect the aphids. I found aphids on aspens, cottonwoods, and rabbitbrush.

Another cool find was white puffy spots on prickly pear cactus. It turns out this is a protective covering of the cochineal bug, which is harvested in many areas for the red dye it makes. You may be eating it in some of your foods or wearing it in your cosmetics or red-dyed clothes.

Cody and Amy are continuing identifications of the Hemiptera that were collected, and this will provide a baseline for the Park.

It was challenging to make the BioBlitz work during Covid, but we did our best. Thanks to all who helped out! Over 80 observations were made on iNaturalist, and you can see those along with the videos by visiting the Park’s BioBlitz page