47 Psocodea – “Booklice”/Barklice”

“Booklice/Barklice” (formerly Psocoptera)

The second group of insects in this order was formerly known as the order Psocoptera (“psoco” = “small rub” – referring to the feeding abrasions that they make). Their mouthparts are modified for scraping. There are more than 5,500 species, with more still being described.

The booklice and barklice, while closely related to lice that parasitize vertebrates, are not parasitic. Barklice generally feed on fungi, algae, lichens and detritus found in natural environments. Some species are generalist feeders on any organic material. A few of these have become associated with libraries, feeding on the organic paste once used in binding books.

Psocopterans are small, usually ~1-10 mm. As adults, they have two pairs of wings, although some species have no wings at all even as adults. They are all paurometabolous. A distinctive feature of the group is a smoothly bulging clypeus, which gives the head a recognizable shape

This specimen was caught in a pitfall trap at the Aleza Lake Research Forest.