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Barkfly

Order Psocoptera

Photo by Leuba Ridgway
Published on Project Noah
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-37.8932, 145.308

Field Notes

Description:

A very small insect about 4mm in length with a uniformly black head, thorax and abdomen. The abdomen looked slightly rounded and had what looked like cerci at the rear end. The thorax was robust
The antennae were about half the length of the body, black and segmented. They might have had soft bristled tips -was difficult to see. The insect had four wings, the fore wings being almost twice the length of the body.
I could not get a close look at the head or mouthparts.

Habitat:

open grassland with a few eucalyptus trees.

Notes:

This insect flew on to my hand from a eucalyptus tree. Had some difficulty getting him to leave !
I thought it was a winged ant but the antennae were not elbowed and I was confused about the ? cerci.
Thanks to martinl for identifying this insect for me. Will need further work on identifying at species..
http://www.brc.ac.uk/schemes/barkfly/introduction.htm

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (3)

I have friends in far away places Leuba. Here is one he spotted earlier; http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/8177073
Martin. however did you find this ? -thanks so much ! I kept thinking this one could be a psyllid because I found him near the tree with clam lerps. Also, what I could see of the head and antennae attachment looked like a psyllid. But, you know more about psyllids than I do.. I agree he looks very muck like a barkfly and I will accept your ID. Thanks again. He obviously doesn't have cerci !!!
Check this http://www.brc.ac.uk/schemes/barkfly/account.aspx?SpeciesId=55
Photographed
PublishedApril 29, 2012

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