Broad-headed bugs[1] are up to 10—12毫米（0.4—0.5英寸） long, and have slender bodies. Some have long and very thin legs. The most notable characteristics of the family are that the head is broad, often similar in length and width to the 前胸 (昆蟲) and the scutellum (entomology)（英语：scutellum (entomology)）, and that the last 觸角 segments are elongated and curved. The 複眼s are globular and protruding, and they also have ocelli（英语：ocelli）. The 腿 (节肢动物) of the hindlegs bear several strong spines; the tarsus has three segments. Most species have well-developed 翅鞘 (forewings), allowing them to fly well, but in some the hemelytra are vestigial. The membranous part of the hemelytra have several closely spaced long veins.
Alydidae are generally of dusky or blackish coloration. The upperside of the 腹 is usually bright orange-red. this color patch is normally not visible as it is covered by the wings; it can be exposed, perhaps to warn would-be 捕食s of these animals' noxiousness: They frequently have scent glands that produce a stink considered to be worse than that of true stink bugs (蝽科). The stink is said to smell similar to a bad case of 口臭.
Sometimes the adults have reduced wings. Both, nymphs and adults of some species, such as Dulichius inflatus（英语：Dulichius inflatus） and Hyalymenus（英语：Hyalymenus） spp. are 擬蟻現象s and live in ant nests.[2]
Oliveira PO. On the mimetic association between nymphs of Hyalymenus spp. (Hemiptera: Alydidae) and ants. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 1985, 83 (4): 371–384. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1985.tb01182.x.
Ahmad, I. The Leptocorisinae (Heteroptera: Alydidae) of the world. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History. 1965, 5 (Supplement): 1–156 （英语）.
Schaefer, C.W. The morphology and higher classification of the Coreoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Parts III. The families Rhopalidae, Alydidae, and Coreidae. Publications of the Entomological Society of America. 1965, 5: 1–76 （英语）.
Schaefer, Carl W. The higher classification of the Alydidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington（英语：Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington）. 1999, 101 (1): 94–98 （英语）.
