Polyctenidae

Family of true bugs

Polyctenidae

Polyctenes sp.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Suborder:	Heteroptera
Superfamily:	Cimicoidea
Family:	Polyctenidae Westwood, 1874
Subfamilies
Polycteninae Hesperocteninae

The Polyctenidae are a rarely collected family of parasitic bugs of the superfamily Cimicoidea. Polyctenidae species or bat bugs are obligate, hematophagous ectoparasites of bats. These insects are not to be confused with cimicid bat bugs, which are members of the family Cimicidae. A significant relationship appears to occur between the family groups and the species of hosts that indicates co-evolution and specialization.^[1] Polyctenidae and Cimicidae are considered to be sister taxa.^[2]

There are currently 32 species of polyctenid bat bugs recognized worldwide belonging to two subfamilies and five genera.^[3] Polyctenidae species occur both in the Old World^[4] (subfamily Polycteninae) and New World (subfamily Hesperocteninae).

Subtaxa

Subfamily Polycteninae:
- Genus Adroctenes
  - Adroctenes horvathi
  - Adroctenes jordani
  - Adroctenes magnus
- Genus Eoctenes
  - Eoctenes intermedius
  - Eoctenes spasmae
  - Eoctenes sinae
  - Eoctenes ferrisi
  - Eoctenes maai
  - Eoctenes nycteridis
  - Eoctenes coleurae
- Genus Hypoctenes
  - Hypoctenes petiolatus
  - Hypoctenes quadratus
  - Hypoctenes hutsoni
  - Hypoctenes clarus
  - Hypoctenes faini
- Genus Polyctenes
  - Polyctenes molossus
Subfamily Hesperocteninae:
- Genus Hesperoctenes
  - Hesperoctenes abalosi
  - Hesperoctenes angustatus
  - Hesperoctenes cartus
  - Hesperoctenes chorote
  - Hesperoctenes eumops
  - Hesperoctenes fumarius
  - Hesperoctenes giganteus
  - Hesperoctenes hermsi
  - Hesperoctenes impressus
  - Hesperoctenes limai
  - Hesperoctenes longiceps
  - Hesperoctenes minor
  - Hesperoctenes parvulus
  - Hesperoctenes setosus
  - Hesperoctenes tarsalis
  - Hesperoctenes vicinus

References

^ T. C. Maa (1964). "A review of the Old World Polyctenidae (Hemiptera)" (PDF). Pacific Insects. 6 (3). Bishop Museum: 494–516.
^ Weirauch, C., Schuh, R.T., Cassis, G. and Wheeler, W.C. (2019), Revisiting habitat and lifestyle transitions in Heteroptera (Insecta: Hemiptera): insights from a combined morphological and molecular phylogeny. Cladistics, 35: 67-105. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12233
^ Dick, Carl W.; Bindokas, Michael. "CHECKLIST OF WORLD POLYCTENIDAE (HEMPITERA: CIMICOIDEA)". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
^ Maa, T. C. (1964). "A review of the Old World Polyctenidae". Pacific Insects. 6: 494–516.

Extant Hemiptera families

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Infraclass: Neoptera
Superorder: Paraneoptera

Suborder Auchenorrhyncha

Cicadomorpha

Cercopoidea (froghoppers)	Aphrophoridae Cercopidae Clastopteridae Epipygidae Machaerotidae
Cicadoidea (cicadas)	Cicadidae Tettigarctidae (hairy cicadas)
Membracoidea	Aetalionidae Cicadellidae (leafhoppers) Melizoderidae Membracidae (typical treehoppers, thorn bugs) Myerslopiidae

Fulgoromorpha
(planthoppers)

Fulgoroidea	Acanaloniidae Achilidae Achilixiidae Cixiidae Delphacidae Derbidae Dictyopharidae Eurybrachidae Flatidae Fulgoridae (lanternflies) Gengidae Hypochthonellidae Issidae Kinnaridae Lophopidae Meenoplidae Nogodinidae Ricaniidae Tettigometridae Tropiduchidae

Suborder Sternorrhyncha

Aleyrodoidea	Aleyrodidae (whiteflies)
Aphidoidea (aphids)	Aphididae
Coccoidea (scale insects)	Aclerdidae Asterolecaniidae (pit scales) Beesoniidae (beesoniids) Carayonemidae (carayonemids) Cerococcidae (ornate pit scales) Coccidae (soft scales) Conchaspididae Dactylopiidae (cochineals) Diaspididae (armored scales) Eriococcidae (felt scales) Halimococcidae (pupillarial palm scales) Kermesidae Kerriidae (lac scales) Lecanodiaspididae (false pit scales) Margarodidae (cottony cushion scales, giant coccids, ground pearls) Micrococcidae (Mediterranean scales) Monophlebidae (giant scales) Ortheziidae (ensign scales) Phenacoleachiidae (phenacoleachiids) Phoenicococcidae (palm scales) Pseudococcidae (mealybugs) Putoidae (giant mealybugs) Stictococcidae (stictococcids)
Phylloxeroidea	Adelgidae (woolly conifer aphids) Phylloxeridae (phylloxerans)
Psylloidea	Aphalaridae Calophyidae Carsidaridae Homotomidae Phacopteronidae Psyllidae (jumping plant lice) Triozidae

Suborder Heteroptera (with Coleorrhyncha)

Dipsocoromorpha	Ceratocombidae Dipsocoridae Hypsipterygidae Schizopteridae Stemmocryptidae

Enicocephalomorpha

Enicocephaloidea	Aenictopecheidae Enicocephalidae (unique-headed bugs, gnat bugs)

Gerromorpha
(semiaquatic bugs)

Gerroidea	Gerridae (water striders) Hermatobatidae Veliidae (riffle bugs)
Hebroidea	Hebridae (velvet water bugs)
Hydrometroidea	Hydrometridae (marsh treaders or water measurers) Macroveliidae Paraphrynoveliidae
Mesovelioidea (water treaders)	Madeoveliidae Mesoveliidae

Leptopodomorpha	Saldidae (shore bugs) Leptopodidae (spiny shore bugs) Omaniidae Aepophilidae

Nepomorpha
(true water bugs)

Corixoidea	Corixidae (water boatmen)
Nepoidea	Belostomatidae (giant water bugs) Nepidae (water scorpions, needle bugs)
Ochteroidea	Gelastocoridae (toad bugs) Ochteridae (velvety shore bugs)
Aphelocheiroidea	Aphelocheiridae Potamocoridae
Naucoroidea	Naucoridae (creeping water bugs)
Notonectoidea	Notonectidae (backswimmers)
Pleoidea	Helotrephidae Pleidae (pygmy backswimmers)

Peloridiomorpha (Coleorrhyncha)	Peloridiidae

Cimicomorpha

Cimicoidea

Anthocoridae (minute pirate bugs or flower bugs)
Cimicidae (bed bugs, bat bugs)
Curaliidae (Curalium cronini)
Joppeicidae
Lasiochilidae
Lyctocoridae
Medocostidae
Microphysidae
Miridae (plant bugs, leaf bugs, grass bugs)
Nabidae (damsel bugs)
Pachynomidae
Plokiophilidae
Polyctenidae (old world bat bugs)
Reduviidae (assassin bugs, wheel bugs, thread-legged bugs)
Thaumastocoridae (royal palm bugs)
Tingidae (lace bugs)
Velocipedidae

Pentatomomorpha

Aradoidea	Aradidae (flat bugs) Termitaphididae (termite bugs)
Pentatomoidea (shield bugs)	Urostylididae Acanthosomatidae (shield bugs) Tessaratomidae (giant shield bugs and relatives) Dinidoridae Cydnidae (burrowing bugs) Thaumastellidae Parastrachiidae Thyreocoridae (includes ebony bugs) Lestoniidae Phloeidae Scutelleridae (jewel bugs or metallic shield bugs) Plataspidae Pentatomidae (stink bugs) Canopidae Megarididae
Coreoidea	Alydidae (broad-headed bugs) Coreidae (squash bugs, leaf-footed bugs) Hyocephalidae Rhopalidae (scentless plant bugs) Stenocephalidae
Lygaeoidea	Artheneidae Berytidae (stilt bugs) Blissidae Colobathristidae Cryptorhamphidae Cymidae Geocoridae Henicocoridae Heterogastridae Idiostolidae Lygaeidae (milkweed bugs, true seed bugs) Malcidae Ninidae Oxycarenidae Pachygronthidae Rhyparochromidae (atypical seed bugs) Piesmatidae (ash-grey leaf bugs)
Pyrrhocoroidea	Pyrrhocoridae (red bugs, cotton stainers) Largidae (bordered plant bugs)

Note: Coleorrhyncha are a different clade from Heteroptera. Heteroptera with Coleorrhyncha were referred to as Prosorrhyncha.

Taxon identifiers
Polyctenidae	Wikidata: Q3907735 Wikispecies: Polyctenidae AFD: POLYCTENIDAE BOLD: 532795 CoL: 7NKL2 EoL: 627 GBIF: 9654 iNaturalist: 506104 IRMNG: 110796 ITIS: 107146 NCBI: 236455 Open Tree of Life: 382178 Plazi: 9A0E8787-FFA0-FF85-FF15-161DFA95B7BB