Asiopsocidae

Introduction

The family Asiopsocidae includes about 14 species in 3 genera with the center of diversity in Asia and Africa. Three species are known from North America: Asiopsocus sonorensis from the southwestern US, Notiopsocus sp. from southern Florida, and Pronotipsocus sp. from south-central Florida.

Asiopsocids are small to medium-sized bark lice, 2-3 mm in length.  The body color is generally brown.  Asiopsocids inhabit bark.  Sexual dimorphism is common in this family, with one sex lacking wings when the other has full wings.

The three genera in family Asiopsocidae are united by similarities in the female genitalia, but close study of the family is likely to divide the genera into two or more families.

Characteristics

Synapomorphies

• Mouth: lacinia has broadened subapical region.
• Female: dorsal valve of the gonapophyses is reduced and membranous.

General Characters

• Head:  
  
• Mandibles are of short or moderate length.
• Antennae have 13 segments.
• Legs:   
  
• Tarsi have 2 segments.
• Wings:
• Forewing:
• Areola postica is free from vein M.
• Membrane is hairless.
• Veins and margin may have hairs.
• Hindwing veins Rs and M are fused for an extended length.
• Male:   
  
• Phallosome is closed frame.
• Hypandrium is dome shaped.
• Female:
  
• Subgenital plate is smoothly rounded on posterior margin.
• Gonapophyses are reduced:
• Ventral valve, when present, has a distal end blunt, rarely pointed.
• Dorsal valve is reduced and membranous.
• External valve is often reduced.

How to Know the Family

• Small to medium-sized bark lice, 2-3 mm in length.
• Body color is generally brown.
• Tarsi have 2 segments.
• Hindwing veins Rs and M are fused for an extended length.
• Female: dorsal valve of the gonapophyses is reduced and membranous.

Family Monophyly

Monophyly of family Asiopsocidae is supported by two morphological characters: on the mandible, the lacinia has a broadened subapical region, and in the female, the dorsal valve of the gonapophyses is reduced and membranous.  Asiopsocidae is considered to be a weakly united family and future work is likely to divide the group into two or more families (Yoshizawa 2002).

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

Relationships within the family Asiopsocidae have not been studied with molecular techniques.

Other Names for Asiopsocidae

• Asiopsocoidea

References

Garcia Aldrete, A.N. and J. A. Casasola. 1995. A new species of Asiopsocus from Puebla, Mexico (Psocoptera: Asiopsocidae). Acta Zoologica Mexicana 66: 23-29.

Johnson, K. P. & E. L. Mockford. 2003. Molecular Systematics of Psocomorpha (Psocoptera). Systematic Entomology 28: 409-40

Lienhard, C. and C. N Smithers. 2002. Psocoptera (Insecta) World Catalogue and Bibliography. Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Geneva, Switzerland.

Mockford, E. L. 1993. North American Psocoptera (Insecta). Gainesville, Florida: Sandhill Crane Press.

New, T.R. 2005. Psocids, Psocoptera (Booklice and barklice), 2nd edition: Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects. Vol. 1, Part 7. Royal Entomological Society, London, UK.

Smithers, C. N. 1996. Psocoptera. Pp. 1-80, 363-372 (Index) in Wells A. (ed.) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 26. Psocoptera, Phthiraptera, Thysanoptera. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, Australia.

Yoshizawa, K. 2002. Phylogeny and higher classification of suborder Psocomorpha (Insecta: Psocodea:'Psocoptera'). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 136: 371-400.