Caption: Psocids (booklice or barklice)
Photo by: Ken Grey
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Psocids (booklice or barklice)
(revision date: 7/14/2015)
Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for successful pest management.
Biology
Psocids are small insects, usually 1/16 to 1/8 inch long. While sometimes called booklice or barklice, psocids are not lice. Some psocids are winged as adults, while other species may be wingless. Some of the wingless types can be pests of stored food such as flour, sugar, or cereal and some will attack the glue of book bindings. Many species in nature are beneficial scavengers feeding on dead insects. Many others feed on pollen, fungi, lichens, and mold. Psocids are generally white, pale cream-colored, light gray or dark gray in color. They are elongate-oval in shape, and have chewing mouthparts and fairly long threadlike antennae. Those species that cause problems in stored foods favor damp, dark, and warm habitats that are relatively undisturbed. Under favorable conditions, these prolific insects can exceed six generations a year.
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