On the campus of the university of maryland i often find adult and juvenile bark lice nestled beneath the broad evergreen leaves of native and nonnative hollies. While our main focus is on interpreting the historically relevant past as it pertains to fort smith, we also wish to provide you, the visitor, with all the information you can use on your visit to the fort smith national historic site. Pests and diseases of fruit trees with solutions to the. Book lice pest control, removal treatment services. An invasion of barklice is lucky and just like having. The lice do not actually hurt trees and are often thought of as helpful because they clean trees by eating things that your tree does not need like fungi, algae, mold, dead plant tissue and other debris. The white webbing looks a bit like spider webs but thicker. Psocids or booklice are softbodied fragile insects with long thread like antennae. Nonhuman lice are restricted to animals and in that too each specie has its own type of lice. Sep 04, 2019 the white webbing looks a bit like spider webs but thicker. They graze on mold, yeasts, algae, fungi, and decaying plant matter with their chewing mouthparts.
Book lice received this name because they like to eat the paste found. Bark lice or psocids are small soft bodied insects which are often seen in groups or tiny herds on the surface of tree bark where they feed on lichens, fungi, and other superficial plant materials. Although they are called lice, the psocoptera are freeliving insects, not parasites. Book lice, when abundant, can cause damage to books and are considered pests in. Book lice are exactly what they sound liketiny, licelike insects that live in books and eat the tiny molds that grow on the pages of slightly damp books. This group has been around since the jurassic period. These tiny insects do not cause structural damage or spread disease.
The greatest deterrent to book lice is to keep things dry. If youve got any dried out or decaying plants, you might find these little critters enjoying a plant buffet, or they may even be lurking around your stored food. The term lice tends to make people uneasy, but these are not the bloodsucking lice normally associated with the human body. The term lice as part of the common name of these tree dwellers is quite misleading as these insects are neither parasitic nor louselike in appearance. Dear missmiss91, these are benign barklice, and they will not harm your friends grandchildren, nor will they destroy the swing set as they are not wood boring insects. Viewing families in the order psocodea book lice, bark. Our identify that insect service will continue, but our director of science cannot accept any.
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. Chapter 26 the best control for barklice or booklice or psocids. 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. Jul 21, 2017 book lice are exactly what they sound liketiny, lice like insects that live in books and eat the tiny molds that grow on the pages of slightly damp books. You will soon discover, probably during the first summer, that fruittrees have enemies and that they dont need just cultivation and feeding, but also protection. There are 10974 species of bark lice, book lice and true lice, in 850 genera and 71 families. Ent 425 general entomology resource library compendium. They are known as book lice because they are often found in association with old books stored in damp conditions such as in a basement. The name louse is also applied to several other small insects, such as the plant lice, bark lice, and book lice.
They are very small insects with soft bodies, cream to gray or light brown in color. Familiarity with the twentynine insect orders is the key to identifying and understanding insects. Besides damaging books, they also sometimes infest food storage areas, where they feed on dry, starchy materials. Booklice are all females, developing from unfertilized eggs.
The psocids found indoors are extremely tiny and difficult to see. The greatest deterrent to booklice is to keep things dry. Book, bark, beggars and sea lice are quite unrelated to human biting lice. Most booklice species feed on stored grain, book bindings, wallpaper paste. They will also feed on, and often destroy, collections of dried insect specimens. Recent molecular analyses, including research by kevin johnson at the illinois natural history survey, have shown that book lice and head lice are more closely related to each other than previously thought. Booklice occasionally damage books by feeding on starchy materials in the binding. 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.
Viewing families in the order psocodea book lice, bark lice there are about 5,500 species of book lice and bark lice. The mouthparts of the paraneoptera reflect diverse feeding habits. Thorax the thorax unites to the head with a membranous and flexible neck. 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.
I live in arlington, va, we have noticed in the last several days small about the size of a small pepper flake brownishblack bugs in our bathtub below the ceiling fanvent not near the drain or faucet, and around some of our windows. These creatures are drawn to areas with high humidity and moisture, and love feeding on mold. They first appeared in the permian period, 295248 million years. Upon being informed of the identification of this insect, the typical response of a gardener is a widening of the eyes and other momentary indications of being aghast. If, or how, the bavarian woman could hear these insects added to the mystery. Jul 09, 2018 on the campus of the university of maryland i often find adult and juvenile bark lice nestled beneath the broad evergreen leaves of native and nonnative hollies. 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. The tiny bugs can live outdoors on bark feeding on mosses and lichens and in grass, leaves and damp wood. Apart from their small size, they have nothing in common with human lice. Psocid occasional invaders control pest control by. Use dehumidifiers, ventilation, fans, and air conditioning units to lower humidity levels to less than 50%.
Paraneoptera is a monophyletic superorder of insects which includes four orders, the bark lice, true lice, thrips, and hemipterans, the true bugs. The psocoptera are a group of small soft, stout bodied insects which include book lice liposcelis sp. Psocoptera booklice are found living throughout the entire world, in the united states alone there are about 287 species. If you find booklice on objects that can be taken outdoors, then do just that, and clean them thoroughly, allowing them to dry in the sun. When it comes to booklice they are one pest that can be difficult to eliminate but with a little information on their life cycle and where they generally live, then you can find out how to combat them and what products can help you combat them. Despite their names, these small insects are not true lice.
They are of rather similar appearance and they all have a superficial resemblance to some other lice species hence their names. They are often found on the bark of old trees and on old unpainted fences and. Booklice reproduce parthenogenically, which means that the females can produce eggs without ever mating. 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. In this introduction, we have described the insect orders beginning with the most primitive wingless insects, and ending with the insect groups that have undergone the. The habit of psocids includes living or dead foliage, ground litter, bark of trees, and inside human habitations. Consequently, they are considered harmless and perhaps beneficial to the trees they infest. Psocoptera barklice, booklice, psocids discover life. The fort smith national historic site is, by definition, a historic site.
Most species feed on stored grains, book bindings, wallpaper paste. Pdf on jan 1, 2004, arturo baz and others published barklice, booklice or. Barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera, figure 11 mechanism of absorption of atmosp heric water. Bark lice is not the same as parasitic lice found on humans and. It is still not uncommon to find species in arkansas. 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. Psocids, also called book lice although they are not truly lice, live in warm, moist places. The insects are pretty tiny, so it is not surprising that their sounds are not audible to the naked ear. Everything you need to know about a booklice infestation. They have long and threadlike antennae that are multisegmented ranging from 1250 segments. The species of barklice most commonly encountered in the galvestonhouston region is the brownishcolored and gregarious archipsocus nomas.
The wood louse also known as sowbug, a crustacean, is so called because of its superficial resemblance to lice. In another page we have pictures of some of the garden pests being described below for. Many people raise an eyebrow when they think of a lice infestation. Basal groups are microbial surface feeders, whereas more. The small bugs that are often found in stored books are tiny insects called booklice. Dogs, cats, elephants and rest of the animals have their very own kind of lice. Book and bark lice are insects commonly found in organic material such as leaf litter, under bark of trees, and even within the pages of books. Upon being informed of the identification of this insect, the typical response of a gardener is a widening of the eyes and other momentary indications of. Except for their very small size less than 18 inch long, they do not even look like lice. Booklice may look like lice, but they are not actually lice and they do not bite people. They feed primarily on fungi, algae, lichen, and organic detritus in nature but are also known to feed on starchbased household items like grains, wallpaper glue and book bindings. The habit of psocids includes living or dead foliage, ground litter, bark. Bark lice, book lice and true lice is a group of insects.
An online resource devoted to north american insects, spiders and their kin. 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 feed on fungi, algae, dead plant tissues and other debris. Outdoors, these pests are referred to as bark lice and live in the canopies of trees and the crevices of tree bark. There are many variations of bodies and wings among the species, which measure up to 12 inch. It was formerly considered a superorder, but is now generally considered by entomologists as an order. When these tiny, grayish white or translucent, wingless insects invade an indoor space they can be very destructive. The winged adults apparently can disperse well as barklice are often among the very first insects found colonizing newly formed islands. An unexpected finding from our study is that book lice lived in just about every house. The remainder make up small orders such as the bristletails, mayflies, dragonflies and damselflies, cockroaches, mantids, termites, stoneflies, grasshoppers and crickets, earwigs, stick insects, book and bark lice, chewing and sucking lice, and true bugs and lacewings and their relatives. Barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera springerlink.
Psocid barklice are chewing insects and they do a stand up job of eating fungus, lichen, algae, broken bark, and other plant debris off of tree. And remember, they dont forage far from their nest site. Eventually when the young are ready to move on to other locations, the webbing is eaten. Have you ever opened a musty old book and spotted a minute brownish insect skittering across a page. Indoor booklice are usually wingless, but outdoor booklice have wings and are often called barklice because they inhabit the bark of trees. Psocids do well in areas with high humidity that support the growth of their food. Psocids are small, scavenging insects with a relatively generalized body plan. Order psocodea barklice, booklice, and parasitic lice. The species cerastipsocus venosus is one of the most. The domestic species being smaller than a pinhead, about 1 1. Outdoors they inhabit bark where they feed on mosses and lichens. While unsightly, this often leads homeowners asking, do bark lice insects damage trees.
Psocoptera barklice, booklice, psocids discover life mobile. Booklice psocids are itsy, bitsy little bugs about 116 long and they are not actually lice at all and are harmless. Because they are so tiny, its impractical to try to prevent their entry into the home beyond standard exclusion practices that can help keep out pests of all kinds, so its important to make your home as unattractive to these tiny bugs as possible. Honeydew from the scales forms the substrate for the growth of sooty mold, which may be a. The psocoptera are a small order of paraneopteran insects near 4,000. These insects are often regarded as the most primitive hemipteroids alive today. Prior to that any algae on the tree or other sources of food will have been scoured from all the nooks and crannies of the bark.
Booklice become a nuisance when they are in your home in large numbers. If you have found tiny, palecolored insects crawling around in your home, it can be quite disturbing. Barklice generally live in moist terrestrial environments in leaf litter. But, when these pests take root, it is necessary to have professional pest service. They are referred to as lice only because of their similar appearance to true lice species. Psocoptera is another term given to bark lice which is also known as bark flies. Booklice is a stored product pest that can damage food. 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. Psocid occasional invaders control pest control by terminix. 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.
Pest control for psocids aka book lice or barklice. Most species are freeliving and not pests, but several species of book lice are found indoors, e. So where ever it is youre seeing them, there must be a nest close by. 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. They first appeared in the permian period, 295248 million years ago. So, now that you know what they look like and where you might find them, heres a good way to get rid of them although you will never completely get rid of them all, so just accept that fact. Despite having lice in their common name, bark lice and book lice are not are not parasitic and do not cause harm to plants or people. Psocodea bark lice, book lice and true lice includes groups like archipsyllidae, psocidiidae, and permopsocidae. They are known as book lice because they are often found in association with old books stored in. Barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera arturo baz2 without abstract the insects of the order psocoptera copeognatha, corrodentia are commonly called psocids, although outdoor.
It is important to understand that the common name used for these insects is misleading as they are not lice. The small insects lay their eggs under this webbing. The first course of action that will get rid of book lice is to start doing some treatments. Barklice on hollies are sometimes associated with sapsucking insects like soft scales. Apr 25, 2019 so, now that you know what they look like and where you might find them, heres a good way to get rid of them although you will never completely get rid of them all, so just accept that fact.
Despite their name booklice, or bark lice, as they are commonly referred to, are not true lice because they only feed on fungi or mold. Basal groups are microbial surface feeders, whereas more advanced groups feed on plant or animal fluids. They are wingless and are common in moist or damp areas. Psocids or booklice are softbodied fragile insects with long thread. Despite the name, booklice arent only found in books and they arent actually lice. Pdf barklice, booklice or psocids psocoptera researchgate. Book and bark lice the psocoptera the psocoptera are a group of small soft, stout bodied insects which include book lice liposcelis sp. They are often regarded as the most primitive of the hemipteroids. Order psocodea barklice, booklice, and parasitic lice bugguide. Psocoptera are an order of insects that are commonly known as booklice, barklice or barkflies.
Outdoor species are called bark lice since they are found under tree bark or leaves. In spite of the common names that include the word louse, these insects do not live on other animals. Chapter 26 the best control for barklice or booklice or. 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. Ufifasextensionpascofactsheet16603 treecattlebuggingyou.