The genus ''Orius'' (commonly called minute pirate bug) consists of omnivorous bugs in the family

Anthocoridae Anthocoridae is a family of bugs, commonly called minute pirate bugs or flower bugs. Worldwide there are 500-600 species. Description Anthocoridae are 1.5–5 mm long and have soft, elongated oval, flat bodies, often patterned in black an ...

(pirate bugs). Adults are 2–5 mm long and feed mostly on smaller insects, larva and eggs, such as

spider mites Spider mites are members of the Tetranychidae family, which includes about 1,200 species. They are part of the subclass Acari (mites). Spider mites generally live on the undersides of leaves of plants, where they may spin protective silk webs, a ...

thrips Thrips ( order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...

jumping plant lice Psyllidae, the jumping plant lice or psyllids, are a family of small plant-feeding insects that tend to be very host-specific, i.e. each plant-louse species only feeds on one plant species (monophagous) or feeds on a few closely related plants ( ...

, and

white fly Whiteflies are Hemipterans that typically feed on the undersides of plant leaves. They comprise the family Aleyrodidae, the only family in the superfamily Aleyrodoidea. More than 1550 species have been described. Description and taxonomy The A ...

, but will also feed on pollen and vascular sap. These

predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

s are common in

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate both ...

s and landscapes. They have a fairly painful bite, but are not

venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

ous. Some species are raised commercially and sold to growers as a form of

biological control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...

. In laboratory conditions, the larval development of ''

Orius niger ''Orius niger'' is a true bug. The species is found in the Palearctic from Europe east to Siberia and across Central Asia to China and India. It is widespread in Central Europe mostly in the south. In the Alps it is found up 1600 meters above sea ...

'' takes 14 days at a temperature of 25°; females have a longevity of 60 days and can lay up to 150 eggs.Jean-Lou Justine (1978) ontribution to the study of the influence of alimentation on the development and reproduction of ''Orius niger'' Wolff, 1811 (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae)Contribution à l'étude de l'influence de l'alimentation sur le développement et la reproduction dOrius niger'' Wolff, 1811 (Heteroptera : Anthocoridae). Masters Thesis, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France, 92 pages

n French with English abstract N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

Species

* ''

Orius candiope The genus ''Orius'' (commonly called minute pirate bug) consists of omnivorous Hemiptera, bugs in the family Anthocoridae (pirate bugs). Adults are 2–5 mm long and feed mostly on smaller insects, larva and eggs, such as Tetranychus urt ...

'' * ''

Orius diespeter The genus ''Orius'' (commonly called minute pirate bug) consists of omnivorous bugs in the family Anthocoridae (pirate bugs). Adults are 2–5 mm long and feed mostly on smaller insects, larva and eggs, such as spider mites, thrips, j ...

'' * ''

Orius harpocrates The genus ''Orius'' (commonly called minute pirate bug) consists of omnivorous bugs in the family Anthocoridae (pirate bugs). Adults are 2–5 mm long and feed mostly on smaller insects, larva and eggs, such as spider mites, thrips, j ...

'' * ''

Orius insidiosus ''Orius insidiosus'', common name the insidious flower bug, is a species of minute pirate bug, a predatory insect in the order Hemiptera (the true bugs). They are considered beneficial, as they feed on small pest arthropods and their eggs. They ...

'' (insidious flower bug) * ''

Orius minutus The genus ''Orius'' (commonly called minute pirate bug) consists of omnivorous bugs in the family Anthocoridae (pirate bugs). Adults are 2–5 mm long and feed mostly on smaller insects, larva and eggs, such as spider mites, thrips, j ...

'' * ''

Orius pumilio The genus ''Orius'' (commonly called minute pirate bug) consists of omnivorous bugs in the family Anthocoridae (pirate bugs). Adults are 2–5 mm long and feed mostly on smaller insects, larva and eggs, such as spider mites, thrips, j ...

'' * ''

Orius tantillus The genus ''Orius'' (commonly called minute pirate bug) consists of omnivorous Hemiptera, bugs in the family Anthocoridae (pirate bugs). Adults are 2–5 mm long and feed mostly on smaller insects, larva and eggs, such as Tetranychus urt ...

'' * ''

Orius thyestes The genus ''Orius'' (commonly called minute pirate bug) consists of omnivorous bugs in the family Anthocoridae (pirate bugs). Adults are 2–5 mm long and feed mostly on smaller insects, larva and eggs, such as spider mites, thrips, j ...

'' * ''

Orius tristicolor ''Orius tristicolor'', known generally as the minute flower bug or minute pirate bug, is a species of minute pirate bug in the family Anthocoridae. It is found in the Caribbean Sea, Central America, North America, Oceania Oceania (, , ) is ...

References

External links

Iowa State University Department of Entomology ''Iowa Insect Information Notes'', minute pirate bug entry
(with picture) Anthocoridae Cimicomorpha genera {{Cimicomorpha-stub