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Psocidae

Bark Lice

Emilie Bess and Kevin P. Johnson
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Containing group: Psocetae

Introduction

The family Psocidae is the largest family of Psocodea, containing over 80 genera and over 900 described species worldwide.  These are small to large-sized bark lice (2-12 mm) with diverse morphology.  Most species live on bark, but a few are ground-dwelling.  Psocidae includes the largest species of bark louse, in the South American genus Thyrsophorus.

Psocidae contains two subfamilies, Psocinae and Amphigerontiinae, both distributed worldwide.

Characteristics

Synapomorphies

General Characters

How to Know the Family

Family Monophyly

The monophyly of Psocidae is supported by both molecular and morphological data. Morphological data support the monophyly of Psocidae based on the presence of an articulation between the hypandrium and clunium, and the presence of the posterior lobe of the external valve of the gonapophyses (Yoshizawa 2002).  In a molecular analysis that included three genera from subfamily Psocinae (Loesnia, Metylophorus, and Trichadenotecnum) and one genus from subfamily Amphigerontiinae (Blastopsocus) with a data set that combined 18S rDNA, and 12S, 16S, COI rDNA, Johnson and Mockford (2003) found Psocidae to be monophyletic.

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

Psocidae currently contains two subfamilies: Psocinae (includes 6 tribes) and Amphigerontiinae (possibly paraphyletic, includes 4 tribes).  Morphological and molecular data generally agree on subfamily relationships, although relationships within the largest tribe, Ptyctini, are not well resolved (Yoshizawa and Johnson 2008).

Other Names for Psocidae

References

Johnson, K. P. & E. L. Mockford. 2003. Molecular Systematics of Psocomorpha (Psocoptera). Systematic Entomology 28: 409-40.

Lienhard, C. and C. N Smithers. 2002. Psocoptera (Insecta) World Catalogue and Bibliography. Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Geneva, Switzerland.

Mockford, E. L. 1993. North American Psocoptera (Insecta). Gainesville, Florida: Sandhill Crane Press,

New, T.R. 2005. Psocids, Psocoptera (Booklice and barklice), 2nd edition: Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects. Vol. 1, Part 7. Royal Entomological Society, London, UK.

Smithers, C. N. 1996. Psocoptera. Pp. 1-80, 363-372 (Index) in Wells A. (ed.) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 26. Psocoptera, Phthiraptera, Thysanoptera. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, Australia.

Yoshizawa, K. 2002. Phylogeny and higher classification of suborder Psocomorpha (Insecta: Psocodea:'Psocoptera'). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 136: 371-400.

Yoshizawa, K. and Johnson, K.P. 2008. Molecular systematics of the barklouse family Psocidae (Insecta: Psocidae: 'Psocoptera') and implications for morphological and behavioral evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46: 547-559.

Information on the Internet

Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name Psococerastis sp.
Location Nokonoshima Island, Kyushu, Japan
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Identified By K. Yoshizawa
Sex Male
Life Cycle Stage adult
View dorsal
Size 4mm
Copyright © 2006 Kazunori Yoshizawa
Scientific Name Blaste sp.
Location Nokonoshima Island, Kyushu, Japan
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Identified By K. Yoshizawa
Life Cycle Stage adult
View dorsal
Size 3mm
Copyright © 2006 Kazunori Yoshizawa
Scientific Name Loensia moesta
Location Groton, Ma.
Comments 9/16/2007
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Life Cycle Stage adult
View lateral
Copyright © Tom Murray
About This Page

Emilie Bess
Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA

Kevin P. Johnson
Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Emilie Bess at and Kevin P. Johnson at

All Rights Reserved.

Citing this page:

Bess, Emilie and Kevin P. Johnson. 2009. Psocidae. Bark Lice. Version 25 March 2009 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Psocidae/14482/2009.03.25 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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