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For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
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Photo#291151
Barklouse - Xanthocaecilius sommermanae

Barklouse - Xanthocaecilius sommermanae
Cross Plains, Dane County, Wisconsin, USA
June 18, 2009
Size: 3mm
Is is correct to refer to this as a barklouse or is barklice the proper term?

Images of this individual: tag all
Barklouse - Xanthocaecilius sommermanae Barklouse - Xanthocaecilius sommermanae

X. sommermanae
Ed Mockford det.
his comment: "A fully colored male, and a strikingly good photograph. Incidentally, this was one of my early new species when, as still an undergrad student, I discovered that the male of this species had been mis-associated with 'Caecilius' flavidus, and at the same time, I discovered the real male of that species."

my best guess is Xanthocaecilius; Dr Mockford will tell

It depends.
I believe that "barklouse" is the singular form, used when referring to a single individual, and "barklice" is the plural form, used when referring to two or more.

Examples:

"Aww, what a cute little barklouse."

"Those are some mighty fine pictures of barklice you have there."

I'm neither a professional entomologist nor etymologist, so any real experts out there should feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about any of this.