Overview
With their lack of eyes and ocelli and their annulated tibia these distinctive bugs are unlikely to be confused with any other family of Heteroptera, though they bear a superficial resemblance to fleas.
All Polyctenidae are permanent ectoparasites (ie. living on the outside) of bats of the suborder Microchiroptera. They share traumatic insemination in common with the Cimicidae and Anthocoridae.
They are rarely collected, though they have been reported as common on one Malaysian bat host.
Distribution
Only 2 species of Polyctenidae are found in Australia.
Adroctenes magnus
is recorded from the host
Hipposiderosdiadema reginae
and
Eoctenes intermedius
is recorded from a number of bat species from the genus
Taphozous
. Both species are restricted to north Queensland.