hemipteroid

Hemipteroid is a traditional grouping of insects within the order Hemiptera. Historically, it encompassed what are now recognized as the suborders Heteroptera and Homoptera. Heteroptera includes true bugs, characterized by their piercing-sucking mouthparts, and forewings that are typically leathery at the base and membranous at the tips. Homoptera, on the other hand, was a more diverse group that included insects like aphids, scale insects, cicadas, and leafhoppers. These insects generally have uniformly membranous wings and feed on plant sap.

The term "hemipteroid" is no longer widely used in modern entomological classification. The traditional Homoptera has been largely superseded by a classification that divides it into several distinct suborders, including Auchenorrhyncha (cicadas, leafhoppers, planthoppers) and Sternorrhyncha (aphids, whiteflies, scale insects). The suborder Heteroptera remains a valid and distinct group. While the informal grouping of hemipteroids might still be encountered in older literature or as a simplified way to refer to a broad range of hemipteran insects, it does not represent a scientifically recognized taxonomic rank today. The current understanding of insect phylogeny favors the separation of these groups based on detailed morphological and genetic evidence.