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Philotarsidae

Emilie Bess and Kevin P. Johnson
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taxon links [up-->]Philotarsus [up-->]Tarsophilus [up-->]Philotarsopsis [up-->]Aaroniella [up-->]Garcialdretia [up-->]Haplophallus Monophyly Uncertain[down<--]Homilopsocidea Interpreting the tree
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Containing group: Homilopsocidea

Introduction

The family Philotarsidae contains about 115 species in 6 genera distributed worldwide, with highest diversity in Asia.  Eight species are known from North America in the genera Garcialdrete, Philotarsus and Aaroniella.

These are medium-sized bark lice (2-3.5 mm, nymphs 2-3 mm) with robust bodies.  Body colors are brown or gray.  Philotarsids inhabit bark and rock surfaces; some species live under dense webbing, alone or in small groups.

Philotarsidae contains two subfamilies, Aaronielinae and Philotarsinae, which are designated based on antennal morphology.

Characteristics

Synapomorphy

General Characters

How to Know the Family

Family Monophyly

Family monophyly is supported by the unique character of the presence of hair on the underside of the forewing, and by some characters shared with other families: crossing marginal setae of forewing, more than one row of setae on forewing veins, and apically rounded phallosome (Yoshizawa 2002).

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

Relationships within the family Philotarsidae have not been studied in detail. 

Position with Psocomorpha

Philotarsidae has traditionally been included in superfamily Homilopsocidea, but molecular data from genus Aaroniella do not support this placement and question the monophyly of superfamily Homilopsocidea (Johnson & Mockford 2003).

References

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.

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.

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

Mockford, E. L. 2007. Species of Philotarsus from north and middle America and a new Philotarsine genus from Mexico, Guatemala, and the Greater Antilles (Psocoptera: Philotarsidae: Philotarsinae). Journal of the New York Entomological Society 114: 108-139.

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.

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.

Yoshizawa, K. and Johnson, K.P. 2008. Molecular systematics of the barklouse family Psocidae (Insecta: Psocidae: 'Psocoptera') and implications for morphological and behavioral evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46: 547-559.

Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name Aaroniella
Location Belchertown, Massachusetts, USA
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Identified By Ed Mockford
Size ~2 mm
Source Photo#216531
Source Collection BugGuide.Net
Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License - Version 1.0.
Copyright © Charley Eiseman
Scientific Name Philotarsus picicornis
Location Logy Bay, N47º37.830' W052º41.258' (WGS84), Northeast Avalon, Newfoundland/Labrador, Canada
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Identified By Philip Careless
Size 4mm Head to wing tips
Source Photo#72444
Source Collection BugGuide.Net
Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License - Version 1.0.
Copyright © Mardon Erbland
About This Page

Emilie Bess
Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA

Kevin P. Johnson
Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Emilie Bess at and Kevin P. Johnson at

All Rights Reserved.

Citing this page:

Bess, Emilie and Kevin P. Johnson. 2009. Philotarsidae. Version 25 March 2009 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Philotarsidae/30251/2009.03.25 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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