Barklice - Polypsocus corruptus

Thanks again Philip

This male is a lot different than the other pictures of Polysocus corruptus. I've seen plenty of the others and this is the first one like this that I've seen, so would all the others be females with the short wings?

… tom murray, 13 September, 2007 - 7:35pm

yup female look a lot different

Thanks to a clear line running down the distal edge of the female's wings they do appear about 1/4 shorter then they are. In addition females hold their wings in strange manner for most Psocoptera, domed like the hard elytra of a beetle. Actually people will confuse them for a little brown beetle if they don't look closely. Why the female wants to resemble a beetle and the male looks so different is unclear to me. All the other pictures of Polysocus corruptus in this Guide are females (so far).

… Philip Careless, 14 September, 2007 - 11:51pm

Polysocus corruptus

Based on the wings and collection location I would say this is likely a male Polysocus corruptus Family Amphipsocidae. The longer wings and added white crescent half way along the wings helps me to distinguish it from the conspicuous females.

… Philip Careless, 12 September, 2007 - 8:56pm

Thanks Eric

Moved from Psyllidae.

… tom murray, 6 September, 2007 - 4:40pm

If you

still have this one, I would like to get it. It doesn't look familiar to me.

… Donald S. Chandler, 6 September, 2007 - 8:22pm

Sorry Don,

I didn't keep it.

… tom murray, 6 September, 2007 - 8:52pm

Beg to differ.

Pretty sure this is actually a barklouse, Psocoptera. Very easy to get them confused, just because the names alone are so similar! I know of no psyllids with such long antennae....

… Eric R. Eaton, 6 September, 2007 - 3:28pm