The Polyctenidae are a rarely collected family of parasitic bugs of the superfamily Cimicoidea.

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.