Aepophilus

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Aepophilus bonnairei is the only species in the genus Aepophilus, which belongs to its own family Aepophilidae and subfamily Aepophilinae. It is a small true bug found along the Atlantic coast of Europe. It lives on the intertidal coast, often among the brown seaweed Fucus, in cracks in rocks or under stones embedded in sand or silt. It measures about 2.5–3.5 mm in length. This insect is a predator, feeding on annelid worms with its sucking mouthparts, both in the wild and in the lab. Its life cycle is not well studied, but larvae kept in captivity for several months suggest slow development. Some reports indicate that females guard their egg clusters. Its distribution includes Ireland, southwest England and Wales, the Netherlands, northern France's Atlantic and Channel coasts, and the Atlantic coasts of Spain and Portugal, with an uncertain record from Morocco.