Sternorrhyncha

Sternorrhyncha Temporal range: Permian–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
An aphid
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Suborder:	Sternorrhyncha
Superfamilies
Aleyrodoidea Aphidoidea Coccoidea Phylloxeroidea Psylloidea

The Sternorrhyncha^[1][2][3] suborder of the Hemiptera contains the aphids, whiteflies, and scale insects, groups which were traditionally included in the now-obsolete order "Homoptera". The name "Sternorrhyncha" refers to the rearward position of the mouthparts relative to the head.

Distributed worldwide, all members of this group are plant-feeders, many considered pests feeding on major crops and ornamental plants.

Many exhibit modified morphology and/or life cycles, including phenomena such as flightless morphs, parthenogenesis, sexual dimorphism, and eusociality.

Phylogeny

The phylogeny of the extant Sternorrhyncha, from a 2024 study using ultraconserved genetic elements, is shown in the cladogram:^[4]

Sternorrhyncha	Aleyrodoidea (whiteflies) Psylloidea (jumping plant lice, etc.) Coccoidea (scale insects) Aphidomorpha Phylloxeroidea (phylloxera bugs) Aphididae (aphids)

The evolutionary position of several fossil taxa are unclear. A suggested phylogeny is:^[5][6]

	†Pincombeomorpha Boreoscytidae Pincombeidae Simulaphididae Coccidomorpha †Naibiomorpha Dracaphididae Naibiidae Sinojuraphididae Aphidomorpha †Protopsyllidioidea †Dinglomorpha Aleyrodomorpha †Liadopsyllidae Psylloidea

Groups

Well-known groups in the Sternorrhyncha include:

• aphids – (Aphididae)
• woolly and gall-making aphids (Eriosomatinae)
• pine and spruce aphids (Adelgidae)
• phylloxerans (Phylloxeridae, including the vine phylloxera)
• whiteflies – (Aleyrodidae)
• jumping plant lice (Psyllidae and allied families)
• Superfamily Coccoidea (scale insects)
  • cottony cushion scales, giant coccids, and ground pearls (Margarodidae)
  • armoured scales (Diaspididae)
  • cochineal insects (Dactylopiidae)
  • lac scales (Kerriidae, Lacciferidae, Tachardinidae)
  • soft scales (Coccidae)
  • pit scales (Asterolecaniidae)
  • mealybugs (Pseudococcidae)
  • felted scales (Eriococcidae)

References

1. "ITIS standard report - Sternorrhyncha". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
2. Grimaldi & Engel (2005) Evolution of the Insects 289-303.
3. Paraneoptera Species File (Version 5.0/5.0)
4. Liu, Dajun; Cui, Jinyu; Liu, Yubo; Niu, Minmin; Wang, Fang; Zhao, Qing; Cai, Bo; Zhang, Hufang; Wei, Jiufeng (2024). "Ultraconserved elements from transcriptome and genome data provide insight into the phylogenomics of Sternorrhyncha (Insecta: Hemiptera)". Cladistics. 40 (5): 496–509. doi:10.1111/cla.12585. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
5. Drohojowska, Jowita; Szwedo, Jacek; Żyła, Dagmara; Huang, Di-Ying; Müller, Patrick (2020). "Fossils reshape the Sternorrhyncha evolutionary tree (Insecta, Hemiptera)". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): 11390. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-68220-x. PMC 7347605. PMID 32647332.
6. Szwedo, Jacek (2016). "The unity, diversity and conformity of bugs (Hemiptera) through time". Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 107 (2–3): 109–128. Bibcode:2016EESTR.107..109S. doi:10.1017/S175569101700038X. S2CID 134243346.

External links

• Suborder Sternorrhyncha—Plant-parasitic Hemipterans at BugGuide