Millions of wondrous life forms surround us, and, since the dawn of science, scientists have developed naming schemes to distinguish among them. The folks studying these creatures need to be sure they are not talking at cross purposes, one thinking of an orange, while the other has an apple in mind. So, the scientists sort like with like in much the same way we might put spoons with spoons in the cutlery drawer, or red knee-high socks with their matching partners in the sock drawer.
Nature lovers wander along the trails, enjoying the arrival of spring, welcoming small life stirring. And we use verbal shortcuts to sort what we see — bugs, creepy crawlies. What does it matter? Those names are useful shorthand. We are separating them into kinds. Yet these catchphrases can be scientifically ambiguous, and if you are talking to avid fans of tiny animals, it’s useful to get names right.
Dictionary definitions are revealing. The weird bug you spot might be a True Bug, which is an insect within the animal order Hemiptera.* True Bug is the only correct language to use if you are talking about a shield bug, a stink bug, a water strider, a backswimmer, a leaf-footed bug, an assassin bug, or an ambush bug. It is precise. Hemiptera literally means “half (hemi) wing (ptera).” These insects have modified forewings that are half membranous wing and half hard shell, like a beetle. Their hind wings are thin and gauzy. When their wings are at rest and cross on their backs, their wings form of an “X” — a good hint for recognition. They have sucking mouth parts to obtain the juices from plants or small dead animals.
Other names are vague and ambiguous. Creepy-crawly is a makeshift catch-all for any small invertebrate animal (no backbone) that you see crawling around in the undergrowth, leaf litter, soil surface, garage floor, and so on that may elicit the response, “Ew!”
Bug (without the True attached) varies by context. It might mean any small leggy mini-beast such as a beetle or spider that might vaguely resemble a True Bug. It might mean any insect, such as a head louse, commonly judged obnoxious. It could be a bacteria or virus that causes illness (a bug going around . . .) or it could refer to a glitch in your software!
Of course, the animals in question don’t care what we call them. Names are a human construct. But precision does matter because using the proper terms for small creatures makes you pay more attention to them. Their body forms make sense when you understand how they make a living on the land, how they hide from enemies, and how they find and consume food.
What do you gain from seeing this detail? You acquire a whole new level of outdoor awareness and a deeper appreciation of a group of small creatures that we cannot live without. Let’s hear it for True Bugs and relegate the terms “bugs” and “creepy-crawlies” to those times when a deep dive into biological categories is not in the cards.
*Other orders among insects are Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) and Coleoptera (beetles).
