Keys for the identification of the British Hemiptera (true bugs)

The Hemiptera include the bugs and aphids

All hemipterans have piercing or sucking mouth-parts which form a sharply pointed tube extending from the underside of the head

Two pairs of wings are present or wings are completely absent. The front pair are sometimes hardened towards the base and transparent at the tip, thus giving the name Hemiptera (= half wing)

Opinion about the higher classification has varied with some of the latest research suggesting that there are two suborders, with the homoptera divided into two major groups: