Sorry to send this to the whole list. It is for the guy who asked if I got it
the wrong way round when I said "all BUGS are insects but not all insects are
bugs". I sent this reply to you but it got returned.
Not all bugs are insects, but all insects are bugs......
NO NO NO. I think I will make it my lifes mission to educate the public. As
a biologist (entomologist really) I cringe at the misuse of the word BUG.
Bug has a particular biological meaning. It is the correct common name for an
order of insects called the Hemiptera or True Bugs. This group includes aphids,
spittle bugs, plant hoppers etc etc. All insects which are true bugs (and so
are in the order Hemiptera) have piercing mouthparts (like a hypodermic needle)
which they use to suck juices from plants, or other insects, and sometimes man.
So are mosquitoes bugs???? I hear you ask??? No they do suck but the
morphology of the mouthparts, as well as the develpomental stages of the
mosquitoe are quite different from bugs. Mosquitoes are True Flys in the order
Diptera.
So just to reiterate, all BUGS are insects but not all insects are BUGS.
Cheers DW
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