''Melamphaus'' is an

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

true bugs Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from to aroun ...

in the family

Pyrrhocoridae Pyrrhocoridae is a family of insects with more than 300 species world-wide. Many are red coloured and are known as red bugs and some species are called cotton stainers because their feeding activities leave an indelible yellow-brownish stain on c ...

, the cotton stainers. They are often confused with bugs in the family

Lygaeidae The Lygaeidae are a family in the Hemiptera (true bugs), with more than 110 genera in four subfamilies. The family is commonly referred to as seed bugs, and less commonly, milkweed bugs, or ground bugs. However, while many of the species feed on ...

, but can be distinguished by the lack of

ocelli A simple eye (sometimes called a pigment pit) refers to a form of eye or an optical arrangement composed of a single lens and without an elaborate retina such as occurs in most vertebrates. In this sense "simple eye" is distinct from a multi-l ...

on the head. The genus has adults with large and characteristic oval shape and the body is densely covered in short hair. The head behind the eye narrows slightly and the eyes are at a distance from the fore edge of the pronotum. The edge of the pronotum is not extended to the sides or bent down. The metathoracic scent gland has an ostiole with a peritreme and a deep furrow. The sutures on the underside of the abdominal segments between 4 and 5; and between 5 and 6 are strongly curved forwards. Many species may swarm seasonally on seeds of specific trees. ''Melamphaus faber'' is known to be found in large numbers on ''Hydnocarpus anthelmetica'' and ''H. wightiana'' in Singapore. Species that have been included in the genus include: * '' Melamphaus agnatus'' Bergroth, 1894 * ''

Melamphaus faber ''Melamphaus'' is an Old World genus of true bugs in the family Pyrrhocoridae, the cotton stainers. They are often confused with bugs in the family Lygaeidae, but can be distinguished by the lack of ocelli A simple eye (sometimes called a pi ...

'' (Fabricius, 1787) * '' Melamphaus fulvomarginatus'' (Dohrn, 1860) * '' Melamphaus komodoensis'' Kirichenko, 1963 * '' Melamphaus rubrocinctus'' (Stål, 1863) * '' Melamphaus vicinus'' Schmidt, 1932

References

External links

* Pentatomomorpha genera Pyrrhocoridae {{Heteroptera-stub