flat bug
flat bug, (family Aradidae), any of about 1,000 species of small, flat, dark-coloured insects (order Heteroptera) that are usually found under stones, in crevices in dead or dying trees, or under loose bark. Nearly all flat bugs range in size from 3 to 11 mm (0.12 to 0.43 inch) and feed on fungi and sap in decaying wood. Their wings, though well developed, remain quite small. Species occur in all zoogeographic regions.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Kara Rogers.
Citation Information
Article Title:
flat bug
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
03 February 2011
Access Date:
November 14, 2026