It was formerly considered a superorder, but is now generally considered by entomologists as an order. There are many other psocids that occur outdoors, including barklice species drees 2004. 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. Psocoptera definition of psocoptera by merriamwebster. They are of rather similar appearance and they all have a superficial resemblance to some other lice species hence their names. For the other two hemipteroid orders, thysanoptera and psocoptera, only partial mtdna sequences are available. Although they are called lice, the psocoptera are freeliving insects, not parasites. 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. Barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera, figure 11 mechanism of absorption of atmosp heric water.
Most species feed on stored grains, book bindings, wallpaper paste, fabric sizing, and other starchy products. 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. Everything you need to know about a booklice infestation. Despite their names, these small insects are not true lice. Flickr bark lice psocoptera psocoptera pixelmasterdesign. Psocoptera accessscience from mcgrawhill education. Psocoptera, bark lice english geographic information geographic division.
Psocoptera are an order of insects that are commonly known as booklice, barklice or barkflies. 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. They first appeared in the permian period, 295248 million years. Commonly called barklice or booklice, members of the order psocoptera psocids are not true lice order phthiraptera although they are closely related to. There are many variations of bodies and wings among the species, which measure up to 12 inch. Unlike true lice, booklice are not external parasites and do not bite man or other animals. 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. Chapter 26 the best control for barklice or booklice or. Book and bark lice the psocoptera the psocoptera are a group of small soft, stout bodied insects which include book lice liposcelis sp. Booklice are often found amongst forsaken books and magazines where they consume. Thorax the thorax unites to the head with a membranous and flexible neck. All psocids possess silk glands and in some species large webs are formed in which the community lives.
Head of both adults and larvae rounded with bulging. This natural detritus sustained psocids for millennia until people kindly began supplying starchbased foods such as book bindings, glue, and grains. Not surprisingly there is some reluctance to accept this view fully, because it would have implications for the integrity of the psocoptera. Psocids psocoptera booklice and barklice royal entomological. These insects were until recently placed in the order psocoptera with the lice in a separate order phthiraptera. 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. The pscocoptera have long been regarded as phylogenetically close to the phthiraptera, but recent research has suggested that the phthiraptera may even be a subgroup of the psocoptera, within the wider group of psocodea. Assynt field club biology 396 fraser flashcards isoptera and obscure.
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 fossil insect gallery bark lice some puzzling wee beasties. These guys were all piled up in one little cluster on some logs that have been sitting in the driveway for a bit i. Department of developmental and cell biology, university of california, irvine, ca 92697. Res handbooks for the identification of british insects. Barklice psocoptera psocids bark lice order psocoptera. Flickr bark lice psocoptera psocoptera 20200503 20200503 tagged flickriver. 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. Psocoptera wings home psocoptera wings 20200501 20200501 tagged. Many live on bark and leaf surfaces feeding on algae, fungi or lichens. The psocoptera are a small order of paraneopteran insects near 4,000 species have. Yep, this was a close encounter of a booklouse kind. Booklice are more common in human dwellings and warehouses.
Bark lice and psocids hawaii department of land and. Order phthiraptera is polyphyletic within order psocoptera, so they are moved under order psocodea. 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. Psocodea is a taxonomic group of insects comprising the bark lice, book lice and true lice. At auburn universitys entomology site you can find more information on bark lice. Bark lice are gregarious and live together underneath layers of silken webbing.
Rons passion ron cauble, founder of the bone room, was obsessed with inclusions in amber. Commonly called bark lice or book lice or barl lice, the psocopterans sport membranous wings held rooflike over abdomen. 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. These analyses indicate that parasitic lice evolved from within the psocoptera suborder troctomorpha. Pdf barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera researchgate. Bark lice and psocids order psocoptera order includes. Barklice feed on fungi, algae, dead plant tissues and other debris. They are small fragile insects ranging in size from 1 to about 10mm long and are often cryptically coloured. 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. Bark lice and psocids are an important food source for native birds and other insecteaters.
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. A brood of bark lice aka book lice psocoptera living inside an old leafcutter bee nest. Their name originates from the greek word, psokhos meaning gnawed or rubbed and, ptera meaning wings. Most bark lice and psocids are scavengers or feed on lichen found on woody vegetation. Further, sucking and chewing lice originated from a common nonparasitic ancestral group within, the psocoptera book lice and bark lice. Psocoptera, and are mostly innocuous inhabitants of trees and other vegetation. Most leaf and barkdwelling psocids are common and seem to endure human influence. Bottom left of frame shows one of the lice taking shelter inside the. Barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera springerlink. Psocopterabook lice class insectaorder psocopteranumber of families 36 or 37 source for information on psocoptera book.
Characteristics psocids or booklice as they are commonly known are small usually dull coloured insects with a body length of 110 millimetres. The name, psocid short for psocidae, a family within psocoptera may be a better term to use for this group. Dorothy is a master gardener, former newspaper reporter, and the author of several books. Psocids, also called book lice although they are not truly lice, live in warm, moist places. 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.
About this book since the first edition of this handbook was published in 1974, seven new species of psocoptera have been recorded in britain. An order of small, delicate insects, referred to as psocids, bark lice, or book lice. Barklice or booklice or dust lice or psocids appearance. Consequently, they are considered harmless and perhaps beneficial to the trees they infest. They tend to be more pigmented than the booklice and most develop wings. 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. Viewing families in the order psocodea book lice, bark. 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.
They are wingless and much smaller than barklice less than 2 mm. Most species are freeliving and not pests, but several species of book lice are found indoors, e. Although most psocoptera are freeliving, a few genera live in the nests of birds. Their presence in the home may also set off allergy and asthma attacks. Bark lice, booklice or psocids psocoptera, figure 11 mechanism of absorption of atmosp heric water. The barklice include various species of psocoptera that are only found outdoors. Book lice are considered a nuisance when they infest stored foods and libraries. 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.
Minute less than 6 mm though a few are as large as 10 mm, softbodied, winged and wingless. Visit the virginia cooperative extension webpage on psocids. Psocoptera barklice, booklice, psocids discover life. The hemipteroid assemblage has four orders of insects.
Phylogenetically, the order psocoptera psocids, barklice, and booklice is closely related to the phthiraptera lice. However, some psocids are clearly sensitive to human impact. Psocoptera barklice, booklice, psocids discover life mobile. They are often regarded as the most primitive of the hemipteroids. Book lice received this name because they like to eat the paste found in old book bindings. The bark lice are scavengers that feed by scraping algae, lichens or molds and they can be common on bark or under stones and dropped leaves. Fast facts about psocoptera book lice, bark lice, dust lice. The order is thought to have appeared in the permian, and some 6000 extant species have been described. They first appeared in the permian period, 295248 million years ago.
438 1172 191 922 1596 962 1018 1303 1431 1378 1186 1410 1151 1425 1539 1229 1321 1614 1580 972 1104 1194 7 98 834 508 1587 1341 1487 459 495 680 1070 1256 528 1188 402 33 236 1449