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Ptiloneuridae

Emilie Bess and Kevin P. Johnson
Containing group: Epipsocetae

Introduction

The family Ptiloneuridae includes about 60 species in 9 genera known primarily from Central and South America.  Some species of the genus Loneura have recently been described from the southwestern US and Mexico.

These are medium to large-sized bark lice (4-6 mm).  Body colors are generally brown or reddish brown.  Ptiloneurids are known to inhabit forests and rock faces.

Characteristics

Synapomorphies

General Characters

How to Know the Family

Family Monophyly

The monophyly of the family is Ptiloneuridae supported by three characters: head with the epistomal suture absent dorsally, presence of ventral setae of forewing, and three-segmented tarsi (Yoshizawa 2002).

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

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

References

Garcia Aldrete, A.N. 2003. New species of Loneura (Ptiloneuridae: Psocoptera), from Argentina, Nicaragua and Mexico. Anales del Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Serie Zoología 74: 11-19.

Garcia Aldrete, A.N. 2004. New species of Loneura (Psocoptera: Ptiloneuridae), from Venezuela and Nicaragua. Anales del Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Serie Zoología 75: 143-148.

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.

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. Ptiloneuridae. Version 25 March 2009 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Ptiloneuridae/14466/2009.03.25 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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