Calopsocidae

Introduction

The family Calopsocidae contains about 34 species in 8 genera distributed in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.

These are medium to large-sized bark lice (4-6 mm).  Body colors are generally light to dark brown but some are very brightly colored.  Calopsocids inhabit green leaves, including palm fronds. 

Characteristics

Synapomorpies

• Head: back margin (vertex) is sharply angled.
• Forewings have numerous secondary veins, creating a lacy look.
  

General Characters

• Head: 
  
• Back margin (vertex) is sharply angled.
• Antennae have 13 segments.
• Legs:  Tarsi have 2 segments
• Wings:
• Forewings with unique appearance:
• Forewings are very broad.
• Forewings have numerous secondary veins, creating a lacy look.
• Forewing pterostigma has a thickened costal margin.
• Forewing areola postica is connected to vein M by crossvein
• Forewing hairs:
• Hairs on margin between veins R2+3 and R4+5 cross one another.
• Hairs on veins are in two or more rows, except vein CuP with one row.
• Male: 
  
• Phallosome has complex sclerotization on tip.
• Hypandrium is ornamented with rugose areas and a transverse marginal comb.
• Female:
  
• Subgenital plate is bilobed.
• Gonapophyses complete and well developed:
• Dorsal valve is pointed and has a large preapical lobe.
• Ventral valve is pointed and has a large preapical lobe.
• External valve very large and hairy.

How to Know the Family

• Head: back margin (vertex) is sharply angled.
• Forewings are very broad and hairy, sometimes leathery.
• Forewings have numerous secondary veins, creating a lacy look.
• Forewing hairs on margin between veins R2,3 and R4,5 cross one another.

Family Monophyly

Calopsocidae appears to be a highly specialized group within the family Pseudocaeciliidae (Johnson et al. 2004). The monophyly of Calopsocidae is well supported by several morphological features: sharply angled vertex that is deeply emarginated medially, presence of numerous secondary veins in the forewing, a somewhat elongate mandible, a ball-shaped galea, and the presence of a preapical tooth on the pretarsal claw (Yoshizawa 2002).

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

Relationships within the family have not been investigated using molecular techniques.

References

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

Johnson, K. P., K. Yoshizawa, and V. S. Smith. 2004. Multiple origins of parasitism in lice. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 271:1771-1776.

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.

Thornton, I.W.B. and C.N. Smithers. 1984. Systematics of the Calopsocidae, an Oriental and Melanesian family of Psocoptera. Systematic Enomology 9: 183-244.

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