Psocetae

Nymph of Psilopsocus mimulus, from Smithers (1995).

Belongs within: Psocomorpha.
Contains: Lichenomiminae, Myopsocinae, Psocinae, Amphigerontiinae.

The Psocetae is a clade of bark or stone surface dwelling barklice that lack setae on the fore and hind wings (Yoshizawa 2002). The majority of members of the clade are divided between the families Psocidae and Myopsocidae, distinguished by the possession of two- and three-segmented tarsi, respectively (New & Lienhard 2007).

Characters (from Yoshizawa 2002): Medium to large in size, about 3–10 mm. Coloration variable, but usually whitish in ground colour and with dark brown markings. All bark or stone surface dwellers. Head with rounded vertex; postclypeus not strongly bulged; internal ridge of epistomal suture narrow; anteclypeus sclerotized; male eyes usually much larger than female’s; ocelli complete, not clustered on small tubercle; mandible short, outer margin smoothly rounded, posterolateral margin not hollowed; lacinial tip variable; galea flattened; labial palpus rounded. Prothorax less bulged dorsally. Pterothorax greatly bulged dorsally; median part of mesoscutellum pentagonal; mesothorax with narrow precoxal bridge and broad trochantin; membranous region of metaepisternum broad. Forewing often with dark brown markings; posteroproximal corner smoothly rounded; veins and wing margin glabrous; top of CuA₁ usually connected with M except free in Psilopsocidae; A₂ never present. Hindwing glabrous, posteroproximal corner smoothly rounded; Sc clear; Rs and M + Cu fused for long distance basally; Rs and M fused or connected by crossvein (some genera in Myopsocidae). Hind tarsus with row of broad ctenidia based setae (condition of this character in Psilopsocidae not examined or documented); tarsi 2- or 3-segmented; claws with preapical tooth; pulvillus broad or narrow (Psocidae). Abdomen without eversible vesicles ventrally. Male genitalia: paraproct with process on distal margin. Hypandrium usually with complex distal processes or lobes. Phallosome variable; internal valve present or absent; external valve often absent; endophallus lacking sclerotized portion. Female genitalia: paraproct with cylindrical distal projection. Subgenital plate with 1-lobed egg guide extending from ventral margin; apex of egg guide usually bearing setae. Gonapophyses complete and variable in structure; external valve internally expanded.

<==Psocetae [Psocoidea]
    |--Myopsocidae AH08
    |    |  i. s.: Nimbopsocus Smithers 2004 SN08
    |    |           |--*N. thorntoni Smithers 2004 SN08
    |    |           |--N. australis (Brauer 1865) [=Psocus australis, Myopsocus australis] SN08
    |    |           `--N. hickmani (Smithers 1964) [=Myopsocus hickmani] SN08
    |    |         Thorntonodes Lienhard 2004 NL07
    |    |           |--*T. lobatus (New & Thornton 1976) [=Lophopterygella lobata] NL07
    |    |           `--T. quadrituberculatus Lienhard 2004 NL07
    |    |         Mouldsia NL07
    |    |           |--*M. barbarae NL07
    |    |           |--M. inocellata (Smithers & Thornton 1974) NL07
    |    |           `--M. marmorata Smithers & Thornton 1979 NL07
    |    |--Lichenomiminae NL07
    |    `--Myopsocinae NL07
    `--+--Psilopsocus [Psilopsocidae] AH08
       |    |--*P. nigricornis Enderlein 1903 NL07
       |    |--P. malayanus New & Lee 1991 NL07
       |    |--P. manus Smithers & Thornton 1979 NL07
       |    |--P. marmoratus Smithers & Thornton 1973 NL07
       |    |--P. mimulus Y02
       |    |--P. nebulosus Mockford 1961 NL07
       |    `--P. pulchripennis Smithers & Thornton 1973 NL07
       `--Psocidae AH08
            |  i. s.: Barrowia Smithers 1984 GTM12, T13
            |           `--B. insularis Smithers 1984 T13
            |         Tanystigma Smithers 1983 SN08
            |           |--T. paulum group SN08
            |           |    |--*T. paulum [=Copostigma (Clematostigma) paulum] SN08
            |           |    |--T. edwardsi (New 1974) [=Clematostigma edwardsi] SN08
            |           |    |--T. elongatum SN08
            |           |    |--T. inglewoodense (New 1974) [=Clematostigma inglewoodense] SN08
            |           |    |--T. latimentulum SN08
            |           |    |--T. longitibia SN08
            |           |    |--T. striatifrons SN08
            |           |    `--T. tardipes (Edwards 1950) [=Clematostigma tardipes] SN08
            |           `--T. notiale group SN08
            |                |--T. bifurcatum SN08
            |                |--T. dubium SN08
            |                |--T. maddeni Schmidt & New 2008 SN08
            |                |--T. notiale SN08
            |                |--T. valvula SN08
            |                `--T. westae Schmidt & New 2008 SN08
            |--Psocinae NL07
            |--Amphigerontiinae NL07
            `--Thyrsophorinae [Thyrsophoridae] NL07
                 |--*Thyrsopsocopsis thorntoni Mockford 2004 NL07
                 |--Thyrsopsocus NL07
                 `--Thyrsophorus L98

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[AH08] Azar, D., L. Hajar, C. Indary & A. Nel. 2008. Paramesopsocidae, a new Mesozoic psocid family (Insecta: Psocodea "Psocoptera": Psocomorpha). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (N. S.) 44 (4): 459–470.

[GTM12] Gunawardene, N. R., C. K. Taylor & J. D. Majer. 2012. Revisiting the Psocoptera (Insecta) of Barrow Island, Western Australia. Australian Entomologist 39 (4): 253–260.

[L98] Lienhard, C. 1998. Faune de France. France et Régions Limitrophes. 83. Psocoptères Euro-Méditerranéens. Fédération Française des Sociétés de Sciences Naturelles: Paris.

[NL07] New, T. R., & C. Lienhard. 2007. The Psocoptera of Tropical South-east Asia. Brill: Leiden.

[SN08] Schmidt, E. R., & T. R. New. 2008. The Psocoptera (Insecta) of Tasmania, Australia. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 65: 71–152.

[T13] Taylor, C. K. 2013. Annotated bibliography for Barrow Island terrestrial invertebrates. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 83: 135–144.

[Y02] Yoshizawa, K. 2002. Phylogeny and higher classification of suborder Psocomorpha (Insecta: Psocodea: ‘Psocoptera’). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 136: 371–400.

Last updated: 22 August 2020.