Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Suborder Psocomorpha Rank Family | Phylum Arthropoda Order Psocoptera Infraorder Homilopsocidea | |
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Similar Elipsocidae, Ectopsocus, Lachesillidae, Pseudocaeciliidae, Caeciliusidae | ||
Ectopsocidae is a family of Psocoptera (book lice or bark lice) belonging to the suborder Psocomorpha. Members of the family are characterised by their absence of an areola postica in their wings, like in the family Peripsocidae. The family includes fewer than 200 species, most of them in the genus Ectopsocus.
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Distribution
The family includes fewer than 200 species, most of them in the genus Ectopsocus distributed worldwide with highest diversity in Asia. In the genera Ectopsocus and Ectopsocopsis fourteen species are known from North America .
Description
Members of the family are characterised by their absence of an areola postica in their wings, like in the family Peripsocidae. These are brown, small-sized bark lice (1.5-2.5 mm, both nymphs and adults) with or without markings on wings.
Distinctive Features
The following are the distinctive features of these family members:
Habitat
Ectopsocids have been found to inhabit dead leaves on tree branches and leaf litter.