| Unique-headed bugs Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Phthirocoris magnus female | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Superfamily: | Enicocephaloidea |
| Family: | Enicocephalidae Stål, 1860 |
Enicocephalidae, also called unique-headed bugs and gnat bugs, are a family of around 300 species of the suborder Heteroptera. They are typically 4 mm (0.16 in) long, and found throughout the world. They have an elongated head, constricted in places, hence their head is 'unique'.
They are classified into about 47 genera placed in five subfamilies. The family members can be separated from those of the Aenictopecheidae on the basis of the pronotal division into three lobes (except in the genus Alienates). They also show polymorphism with winged males and wingless or short-winged females.[1]
- ^ Fernandes, José Antônio Marin; Weirauch, Christiane (2015). "The Unique-Headed Bugs (Enicocephalomorpha)". True Bugs (Heteroptera) of the Neotropics. Entomology in Focus. Vol. 2. pp. 91–98. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9861-7_4. ISBN 978-94-017-9860-0.