The Hemiptera are the "true” bugs of entomology. The Hemiptera is a large group of insects that contains over 50,000 species, most of which are parasites of plants. There are some species that are predatory and which can inflict painful bites if handled. There are two groups which have developed a true parasitic form of existence: the Cimicidae (Bed Bugs) and the subfamily Triatominae (Kissing Bugs) of the family Reduviidae.
The Cimicidae have dorsoventrally flattened bodies and hide in cracks and crevices of households or nexsts. They lay their eggs in the cracks and molt 5 times with one blood meal for each molt. The bugs can undergo stavation for several months.
The reduviid subfamily Triatominae contains the genera Triatoma, Rhodnius, and Panstrongylus which transmitsTrypanosomacruzi and Trypanosomarangeli.