| Peloridiidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Xenophyes rhachilophus | |
| |
| Xenophyes forsteri | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Coleorrhyncha |
| Superfamily: | Peloridioidea |
| Family: | Peloridiidae Breddin, 1897 |
The Peloridiidae or moss bugs are a family of true bugs, comprising eighteen genera and thirty-four species. They are small, ranging in length from 2 to 4 mm, rarely seen, peculiarly lumpy, flattened bugs found in Patagonia (Argentina and Chile), New Zealand, eastern Australia, Lord Howe Island, and New Caledonia. Peloridiids are found amongst mosses and liverworts, commonly in association with southern beech forests. They have become known as moss bugs for their habit of feeding on mosses. Almost all Peloridiidae species are flightless, except one (Peloridium hammoniorum).[a] Their present distribution suggests they have existed since before the breakup of Gondwana. They are the only living members of the suborder Coleorrhyncha, which first appeared in the Upper Permian, over 250 million years ago.
- ^ Burckhardt, Daniel (2009). "Taxonomy and phylogeny of the Gondwanan moss bugs or Peloridiidae (Hemiptera, Coleorrhyncha)". Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. 56 (2): 173–235. doi:10.1002/mmnd.200900019.
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