The order psocoptera an equivalent name is corrodentia belongs to a group clade, the acercaria, that also includes the hemiptera true bugs, aphids, and cicadas, thysanoptera thrips, and phthiraptera true lice. Chapter 26 the best control for barklice or booklice or psocids. A brood of bark lice aka book lice psocoptera living inside an old leafcutter bee nest. This is because the environment is relatively humid, and these bugs do well in humid conditions. Minute less than 6 mm though a few are as large as 10 mm, softbodied, winged and wingless. Psocoptera fossil insect gallery bark lice some puzzling wee beasties. Most species feed on stored grains, book bindings, wallpaper paste, fabric sizing, and other starchy products. Thorax the thorax unites to the head with a membranous and flexible neck. Oct 23, 2009 yorktown virginia, oct 23rd, about 65f outside. Psocodea is a taxonomic group of insects comprising the bark lice, book lice and true lice. Commonly called bark lice or book lice or barl lice, the psocopterans sport membranous wings held rooflike over abdomen. Many live on bark and leaf surfaces feeding on algae, fungi or lichens. Pdf on jan 1, 2004, arturo baz and others published barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera find, read and cite all the research you need on.
Rons passion ron cauble, founder of the bone room, was obsessed with inclusions in amber. Some recent molecular phylogenetic analyses embed the parasitic lice within the nonparasitic bark lice and book lice, and some authors now recognize the order psocodea, which includes the parasitic lice as. 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. However, the psocoptera all have biting mouthparts, quite different to the sucking rostrum of the psylloidea. Characteristics psocids or booklice as they are commonly known are small usually dull coloured insects with a body length of 110 millimetres. Psocopterabook lice class insectaorder psocopteranumber of families 36 or 37 source for information on psocoptera book. They are wingless, somewhat flattened, and are pale brown in color. Bark lice are gregarious and live together underneath layers of silken webbing. Despite their names, these small insects are not true lice.
The tiny bugs can live outdoors on bark feeding on mosses and lichens and in grass, leaves and damp wood. Psocoptera barklice, booklice, psocids discover life mobile. There are many variations of bodies and wings among the species, which measure up to 12 inch. Flickr bark lice psocoptera psocoptera pixelmasterdesign. Dorothy is a master gardener, former newspaper reporter, and the author of several books. They are commonly found on the bark and foliage of trees and shrubs where they consume lichens symbiotic partnerships of algae and fungi, algae, and other organic matter. Psocoptera definition of psocoptera by merriamwebster.
Consequently, they are considered harmless and perhaps beneficial to the trees they infest. Everything you need to know about a booklice infestation tue, 01262016 so, were going to skip over the scientific data on these pests, like the fact that they are of the order psocoptera and that the staples of their diet are fungi, algae, lichen. Booklice are more common in human dwellings and warehouses. The psocoptera are a group of small soft, stout bodied insects which include book lice liposcelis sp. An order of small, delicate insects, referred to as psocids, bark lice, or book lice.
Jan 23, 2020 booklice are more common in human dwellings and warehouses. For the other two hemipteroid orders, thysanoptera and psocoptera. All psocids possess silk glands and in some species large webs are formed in which the community lives. Ectopsocidae is a family of psocoptera book lice or bark lice belonging to the suborder psocomorpha. Psocoptera, bark lice english geographic information geographic division. 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. Viewing families in the order psocodea book lice, bark. Barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera springerlink.
Bark lice and psocids order psocoptera order includes. These four orders compose a monophyletic group, the paraneoptera hemipteroid insects, and psocids retain the most primitive features in the group. Unlike true lice, booklice are not external parasites and do not bite man or other animals. Psocoptera are an order of insects that are commonly known as booklice, barklice or barkflies. Head of both adults and larvae rounded with bulging. Sep 08, 2016 a video of a herd of barklice in brazil sao paulo state moving in a coordinated fashion on a tree. Booklice are often found amongst forsaken books and magazines where they consume starchy materials like the glue used in bindings. Barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera, figure 11 mechanism of absorption of atmosp heric water. Fast facts about psocoptera book lice, bark lice, dust lice. Booklice are indoor, wingless forms that are sometimes found in old books.
Members of the family are characterised by their absence of an areola postica in their wings, like in the family peripsocidae. At auburn universitys entomology site you can find more information on bark lice. Viewing families in the order psocodea book lice, bark lice. Visit the virginia cooperative extension webpage on psocids. Bark lice, booklice or psocids psocoptera, figure 11 mechanism of absorption of atmosp heric water. They are of rather similar appearance and they all have a superficial resemblance to some other lice species hence their names. Liposcelidae, traditionally classified as psocoptera or book lice are the sister.
Most species are freeliving and not pests, but several species of book lice are found indoors, e. Book lice are considered a nuisance when they infest stored foods and libraries. Although they are called lice, the psocoptera are freeliving insects, not parasites. There are many other psocids that occur outdoors, including barklice species drees 2004. Ent 425 general entomology resource library compendium. Most booklice species feed on stored grain, book bindings, wallpaper paste and other starchy products, and on the minute traces of mould found in old books. Bark lice and psocids are an important food source for native birds and other insecteaters. The hemipteroid assemblage has four orders of insects. Psocoptera book lice, bark lice, dust lice fast facts about psocoptera book lice, bark lice, dust lice minute less than 6 mm though a few are as large as 10 mm, softbodied, winged and wingless. 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.
Barklice or booklice or dust lice or psocids appearance. Psocoptera accessscience from mcgrawhill education. Most species feed on stored grains, book bindings, wallpaper paste, fabric. They are small fragile insects ranging in size from 1 to about 10mm long and are often cryptically coloured. Psocoptera, bark lice english geographic information. Psocids, also called book lice although they are not truly lice, live in warm, moist places. Parasitic lice phthiraptera, book lice, and bark lice. Psocid book lice control new houses are not the only places that have problems with psocids, however. Book lice in books feed off the traces of mould on the paper and the glue that binds the book. These insects were until recently placed in the order psocoptera with the lice in a separate order phthiraptera.
A video of a herd of barklice in brazil sao paulo state moving in a coordinated fashion on a tree. Troctomorpha are now known to also contain the order phthiraptera lice, and are therefore paraphyletic, as are psocoptera as a whole. Pdf barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera researchgate. They are wingless and much smaller than barklice less than 2 mm. Order phthiraptera is polyphyletic within order psocoptera, so they are moved under order psocodea. However, some psocids are clearly sensitive to human impact. They are often regarded as the most primitive of the hemipteroids. Barklice feed on fungi, algae, dead plant tissues and other debris. 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.
Most bark lice and psocids are scavengers or feed on lichen found on woody vegetation. Despite the greatly differing appearance of lice, they are believed to have evolved from within the former order psocoptera, which contained the bark lice and book lice. Molecular genetic evidence has confirmed past suspicions that true lice evolved from booklice and this finding has brought about a taxonomic reshuffling in which bark lice and parasitic lice share the order psocodea. These analyses indicate that parasitic lice evolved from within the psocoptera suborder troctomorpha. The scientific name comes from the greek psocus to grind and pteron wing and refers to the psocopteran jaws, which are shaped to grind food, rather like a pestle and mortar. Barklice are outdoor, winged forms living on tree trunks, branches, and leaves. Book and bark lice the psocoptera the psocoptera are a group of small soft, stout bodied insects which include book lice liposcelis sp. Phthiraptera parasitic lice may have evolved directly from commensal barklice, and a close relationship between barklice and parasitic lice is. Phylogenetically, the order psocoptera psocids, barklice, and booklice is closely related to the phthiraptera lice, thysanoptera thrips, and hemiptera bugs, cicadas, aphids, etc. Similarly, some bark lice psocids are known to cause allergies or dermatitis in. They first appeared in the permian period, 295248 million years ago. At fossil and mineral shows he would typically be found seated at an amber dealers booth, a great pile of amber pieces before him, peering through a loupe at the world inside each piece. Apr 25, 2019 dorothy is a master gardener, former newspaper reporter, and the author of several books. The scientific name comes from the greek psocus to grind and pteron wing and refers to the psocopteran jaws, which are shaped to grind food, rather like a pestle and mortar these insects can be conveniently, if somewhat arbitrarily, discussed in two groups, barklice and booklice, based on whether they.
Other species can be found in stored dry goods, and there are others which live in damp rooms feeding on the paste under damp wallpaper. 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 psocoptera psocids bark lice order psocoptera. Psocoptera barklice, booklice, psocids discover life. This natural detritus sustained psocids for millennia until people kindly began supplying starchbased foods such as book bindings, glue, and grains. Most leaf and barkdwelling psocids are common and seem to endure human influence. Book lice received this name because they like to eat the paste found in old book bindings. Further, sucking and chewing lice originated from a common nonparasitic ancestral group within, the psocoptera book lice and bark lice. Bark lice and psocids hawaii department of land and.
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. Assynt field club biology 396 fraser flashcards isoptera and obscure. They likely came in on construction materials while the house was being built, and simply stayed. Bark lice, winged adult termites, chalcid wasp, spider, midges, gall gnats and more. Psocoptera, and are mostly innocuous inhabitants of trees and other vegetation. 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. The order is thought to have appeared in the permian, and some 6000 extant species have been described. The family includes fewer than 200 species, most of them in the genus ectopsocus. For the other two hemipteroid orders, thysanoptera and psocoptera, only partial mtdna sequences are available. 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. Although most psocoptera are freeliving, a few genera live in the nests of birds. Everything you need to know about a booklice infestation. There are about 5,500 species of book lice and bark lice. Jul 09, 2018 they are commonly found on the bark and foliage of trees and shrubs where they consume lichens symbiotic partnerships of algae and fungi, algae, and other organic matter.
The psocoptera are a small order of paraneopteran insects near 4,000 species have. 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. Booklice are tiny creatures although they are not actually lice at all, and this article will show you how and where to look for them. Bottom left of frame shows one of the lice taking shelter inside the skull of a bee. Flickr bark lice psocoptera psocoptera 20200503 20200503 tagged flickriver. The name, psocid short for psocidae, a family within psocoptera may be a better term to use for this group. Psocids psocoptera, or booklice, are very common in new houses. Everything you need to know about a booklice infestation tue, 01262016 so, were going to skip over the scientific data on these pests, like the fact that they are of the order psocoptera and that the staples of their diet are fungi, algae, lichen, and organic detritus, and get right to what matters most. Their presence in the home may also set off allergy and asthma attacks. About this book since the first edition of this handbook was published in 1974, seven new species of psocoptera have been recorded in britain. Psocoptera wings home psocoptera wings 20200501 20200501 tagged. Their name originates from the greek word, psokhos meaning gnawed or rubbed and, ptera meaning wings. Chapter 26 the best control for barklice or booklice or.
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