Aedoidea

Aedoidea is a historical taxonomic name that has appeared in classifications of true bugs (the order Hemiptera) as a proposed superfamily. The concept has been used at various times by different authors, but there is no single, widely accepted definition or stable circumscription. Because of shifting criteria and incomplete consensus, the scope of what was included in Aedoidea has varied considerably across classifications.

Taxonomic history and status. In older and some specialized taxonomic treatments, Aedoidea was proposed to group several lineages of sap-feeding insects, encompassing a diverse range of bodies and life habits. Over time, with advances in phylogenetic methods and broader sampling, several authors questioned the validity of Aedoidea as a monophyletic unit. Modern systematic studies have often found little support for a cohesive, natural group under this name, and as a result Aedoidea is frequently regarded as obsolete or as a tag encountered mainly in historical literature and museum catalogues rather than in current classifications.

Description and ecology. Because there is no stable, universally applied circumscription, there are no consistent diagnostic characters associated with Aedoidea in contemporary keys. The families and lineages historically connected to Aedoidea, wherever they might be placed, are typically phytophagous, feeding on plant tissues and producing the broad ecological roles common to many Hemiptera. The lack of a clear, modern definition means ecological summaries rely on the individual taxa rather than on the collective group.

See also. Hemiptera; insect taxonomy; fossil and historical classifications in entomology.