Commonly called bark lice or book lice or barl lice, the psocopterans sport membranous wings held rooflike over abdomen. Psocoptera psocoptera, the bark lice, include 4,400 described species arranged in 3 suborders, trogiomorpha, troctomorpha, and psocomorpha. There are more than 5,500 species in 41 families in three suborders. However, some psocids are clearly sensitive to human impact. They first appeared in the permian period, 295248 million years ago. Book lice are considered a nuisance when they infest stored foods and libraries. They are often regarded as the most primitive of the hemipteroids. The order is thought to have appeared in the permian, and some 6000 extant species have been described. Barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera, figure 20 lachesilla pedicularia psocomorpha. They are of rather similar appearance and they all have a superficial resemblance to some other lice species hence their names. New species and records of peripsocus hagen psocoptera, peripsocidae from southeast australia. Although most psocoptera are freeliving, a few genera live in the nests of birds. The insects of the order psocoptera copeognatha, corrodentia are commonly called psocids, although outdoor species living on tree trunks and branches have been called bark lice, whereas indoor species, sometimes found in old books, have been called book lice. Updates for psocoptera are in the process of being added.
Insects of tasmania, australia, including blattodea cockroaches, dermaptera earwigs, orthoptera crickets, grasshoppers, embioptera webspinners, ephemeroptera. Psocids are small and softbodied and therefore have received little attention from collectors. Res handbooks for the identification of british insects. World catalogue and bibliography lienhard and smithers 2002. Head of both adults and larvae rounded with bulging. Chapter 26 the best control for barklice or booklice or psocids. Received august 8, 1956 the psocids psocoptera are one of the minor orders of insects, with only about 145 species recorded from the united states. Department of developmental and cell biology, university of california, irvine, ca 92697. Itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. Barklice psocoptera psocids bark lice order psocoptera. Bark lice and psocids order psocoptera order includes. Help pages, faqs, uniprotkb manual, documents, news archive and biocuration projects. The insects of the order psocoptera copeognatha, corrodentia are commonly called psocids, although outdoor species living on tree trunks and branches have been called barklice, whereas indoor species, sometimes found in old books, have been called booklice.
The psocoptera bark lice and book lice of papua indonesia. In general, they need to live where humidity is high or moisture is present. Click the psocid image for a link to that bugguide species page. They first appeared in the permian period, 295248 million years. New houses are not the only places that have problems with psocids, however. Unless otherwise stated, all species images were taken by the author. Psocoptera are an order of insects that are commonly known as booklice, barklice or barkflies. Psocopterabook lice class insectaorder psocopteranumber of families 36 or 37 source for information on psocoptera book. The more gregarious species live in silken webs on trunks or branches of trees. The order psocoptera is one of the least recorded insect groups. There are about 5,500 species of book lice and bark lice. At auburn universitys entomology site you can find more information on bark lice.
Psocids, also called book lice although they are not truly lice, live in warm, moist places. The habit of psocids includes living or dead foliage, ground litter, bark of trees, and inside human habitations. All psocids possess silk glands and in some species large webs are formed in which the community lives. This is the first insect order to show the beginnings of a transition to sucking. Phylogenetically, the order psocoptera psocids, barklice, and booklice is closely related to the phthiraptera lice, thysanoptera thrips, and hemiptera bugs, cicadas, aphids, etc. You can also look for them under bark or stones and on the bark of trees. Papers and proceedings of the royal society of tasmania 1949. Oct 23, 2009 yorktown virginia, oct 23rd, about 65f outside. Barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera springerlink. Ent 425 general entomology resource library compendium.
The bark lice family calopsocidae is a minor group in the psocoptera, currently comprising 33 validly described species in the world. There are around 2 000 in the world and 68 in britain. This lack of recording is not because the species are rarely encountered on the contrary. The pscocoptera have long been regarded as phylogenetically close to the phthiraptera, but recent research has suggested. Most male psocids perform a mating dance and after fertilisation the female lays her eggs under bark, leaves or a silk mat. Psocoptera definition is an order of tiny softbodied insects that have long antennae, chewing mouthparts, feed on organic matter, are either wingless or have two pairs of wings held over the back like a roof, and include the book lice and bark lice. However, there are no reports on the allergenicity of psocoptera spp. Psocoptera definition of psocoptera by merriamwebster.
Barklice feed on fungi, algae, dead plant tissues and other debris. The psocodea species file currently contains data from psocoptera insecta. Psocids bark lice and booklice are now placed with the true lice in the order psocodea. This is the first insect order to show the beginnings of a transition to sucking mouthparts. Phthiraptera parasitic lice may have evolved directly from commensal barklice, and a close relationship between barklice and parasitic lice is. The insects of the order psocoptera copeognatha, corrodentia are commonly called psocids, although outdoor species living on tree trunks and branches have been called barklice, whereas indoor. Consequently, they are considered harmless and perhaps beneficial to the trees they infest.
Although they are called lice, the psocoptera are freeliving insects, not parasites. Lastly, the family group psocetae consists of four families psocidae, psilopsoc idae, myopsocidae and. Chapter 26 the best control for barklice or booklice or. For convenience one can put quotes around it and use the term psocoptera to refer to psocids only. Unlike bloodsucking lice, psocids pronounces sosid are phytophagous, feeding on organic matter including algae, lichen, fungi, pollen, decaying plant particles detritus, and occasionally dead animal matter. As an extra precaution, they will also treat the perimeter of your homes foundation with a barrier treatment. Discovery of the bark lice family calopsocidae psocoptera.
If you need help with booklice control in your home, contact us today for detailed information about how to get rid of booklice or to learn more about our pest control services in st. The common housedwelling booklouse is wingless or its wings are reduced to small scalelike, nonfunctional wings. Psocoptera barklice, booklice, psocids discover life mobile. Visit the virginia cooperative extension webpage on psocids. Commonly called barklice or booklice, members of the order psocoptera psocids are not true lice order phthiraptera although they are closely related to. It has a very flat shape superficially resembling the shape of head lice. Barklice, likely common barklice cerastipsocus venosus, family psocidae, order psocoptera. Barklice arent related to head lice, and have no interest in humans. They feed on mold or fungi and if found in decaying organic material, as well as grains, insects, and starches like book binding glue it is the result of psocids eating the mold and or fungi growing on these items. Parasitic lice are embedded within bark lice, and thus the single order psocodea is recognized for both groups. Most leaf and barkdwelling psocids are common and seem to endure human influence.
Bark lice and psocids are an important food source for native birds and other insecteaters. The tiny bugs can live outdoors on bark feeding on mosses and lichens and in grass, leaves and damp wood. They are wingless and much smaller than barklice less than 2 mm. Their presence in the home may also set off allergy and asthma attacks. Despite their names, these small insects are not true lice. Most species are freeliving and not pests, but several species of book lice are found indoors, e. In this revised handbook, a general introduction to the classification, relationships, biology and external morphology of the psocoptera is followed by notes on their collection and study. Barklice or booklice or dust lice or psocids appearance. Description of psocoptera psocoptera or corrodentia insects are found in various terrestrial habitats such as tree bark bark lice, decaying vegetable matter, bird nests, and sev eral of the wingless species occur in human habitations, particularly in old papers and books. The psocoptera are a group of small soft, stout bodied insects which include book lice liposcelis sp. Psocids psocoptera booklice and barklice royal entomological. A study of the tasmanian psocoptera with descriptions of new species.
Psocoptera synonyms, psocoptera pronunciation, psocoptera translation, english dictionary definition of psocoptera. There are 50 families of bark lice with over 200 genera. Viewing families in the order psocodea book lice, bark. Book lice received this name because they like to eat the paste found in old book bindings.
While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and uptodate information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in. These guys were all piled up in one little cluster on some logs that have been sitting in the driveway for a bit i have no clue what they are, but. Their closest relatives are the phthiraptera or true lice. Psocoptera are regarded as the most primitive amongst the hemipteroids true bugs, the thrips and lice because their mouthparts show the least modification from those of the earliest known fossils. Psocids barklice booklice the name psocoptera is derived from the greek psokos meaning rubbed or gnawed and ptera meaning wings. Pending id psocoptera pending id psocoptera references edwards, b. Common places for booklice populations to thrive include window sills, under outside siding of homes, tree trunks, shrubs, flowers, around garden hoses, under bricks and rocks, around light fixtures and under boxes. Thorax the thorax unites to the head with a membranous and flexible neck. Most species feed on stored grains, book bindings, wallpaper paste, fabric sizing, and other starchy products. Psocids or booklice have long, filamentous antennae and a characteristic bulging clypeus the area just above the mouth parts. Psocoptera corrodentia, copeognatha constitutes an order of neopterous, exopterygote insects commonly called psocids, barklice, or booklice.
Characteristics psocids or booklice as they are commonly known are small usually dull coloured insects with a body length of 110 millimetres. About this book since the first edition of this handbook was published in 1974, seven new species of psocoptera have been recorded in britain. Many of these species have only been described in recent years. This name has been criticized by many entomologists because the prefix a clear reference to the manner of feeding is unrelated to the suffix the presence of wings. Book and bark lice the psocoptera the psocoptera are a group of small soft, stout bodied insects which include book lice liposcelis sp. Psocoptera, bark lice english geographic information. Most bark lice and psocids are scavengers or feed on lichen found on woody vegetation. Viewing families in the order psocodea book lice, bark lice. Psocoptera barklice, booklice, psocids discover life. The common housedwelling booklouse is wingless or its wings are reduced to small scale. These four orders compose a monophyletic group, the paraneoptera hemipteroid insects, and psocids retain the most primitive features in the group. There are many variations of bodies and wings among the species, which measure up to 12 inch. Barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera, figure 11 mechanism of absorption of atmosp heric water. These analyses indicate that parasitic lice evolved from within the psocoptera suborder troctomorpha.
Bottom left of frame shows one of the lice taking shelter inside the skull of a bee. National barkfly outdoor psocoptera recording scheme. Bark lice and psocids hawaii department of land and. These insects are known to inhabit various terrestrial habitats such as tree bark bark lice, old papers, books, stored food products, etc and gain entry into human dwellings through these modes. Booklice are more common in human dwellings and warehouses. The psocoptera are a small order of paraneopteran insects near 4,000 species have.
Their name originates from the greek word, psokhos meaning gnawed or rubbed and, ptera meaning wings. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. The name psocoptera is derived from the greek psokos meaning rubbed or gnawed and ptera meaning wings. Barklice is the common name for the winged forms and the wingless forms are called booklice potato, potahto. Bark lice are gregarious and live together underneath layers of silken webbing. They feed on mold or fungi and if found in decaying organic material, as well as grains, insects, and starches like book binding glue it is the result of psocids eating the mold andor fungi growing on these items. Psocoptera definition of psocoptera by the free dictionary.
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