Sphaeropsocidae Explained

Sphaeropsocidae is a family of Psocodea (formerly Psocoptera), belonging to the suborder Troctomorpha.^[1] Females of this family have reduced, beetle-like elytra, and lack hindwings, with males have either small or absent wings.^[2] The family comprises 22 known species (four of them fossils) in eight genera.

Taxonomy

• †Asphaeropsocites Azar et al. 2010 Lebanese amber, Early Cretaceous (Barremian)^[3]
• Badonnelia Pearman, 1953 Chile, Recent (except Badonnelia titei, which is found alongside humans in Europe and North America)^[4]
  • Sphaeropsocopsis North America,^[5] South America, St Helena, Recent
• Sphaeropsocus Baltic amber, Eocene, Southeastern US (Recent)
• †Sphaeropsocites Lebanese amber, Early Cretaceous (Barremian)^[6]
• †Sphaeropsocoides Canadian amber, Late Cretaceous (Campanian)
• Globopsocus
• Prosphaeropsocus California, Recent
• Troglosphaeropsocus Arizona, Recent

References

• Lienhard, C. & Smithers, C. N. 2002. Psocoptera (Insecta): World Catalogue and Bibliography. Instrumenta Biodiversitatis, vol. 5. Museum of Natural History, Geneva, Switzerland.

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2021-11-05 . Psocodea species file online, Version 5.0 . 2021 . Johnson . Kevin P. . Smith . Vincent S. .
2. Mockford. Edward L.. 2013-06-06. A new species of Sphaeropsocus Hagen from southeastern United States. Life: The Excitement of Biology. 1. 2. 100–110. 10.9784/leb1(2)mockford.02. 2325-081X. free.
3. D. Azar, M. S. Engel, and D. A. Grimaldi. 2010. A new genus of sphaeropsocid bark lice from the Early Cretaceous amber of Lebanon (Psocodea: Sphaeropsocidae). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 46:103-107
4. Mockford, Edward L. 2005. "First New World Record for Badonnelia Titei (Insecta: Psocoptera: Sphaeropsocidae)," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 38 (2)

   Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol38/iss2/1

5. Mockford. Edward L.. July 2009. Systematics of North American Species of Sphaeropsocidae (Psocoptera). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. en. 111. 3. 666–685. 10.4289/0013-8797-111.3.666. 0013-8797.
6. Grimaldi. David. Engel. Michael S.. 2006. Extralimital Fossils of the "Gondwanan" Family Sphaeropsocidae (Insecta: Psocodea). American Museum Novitates. en. 3523. 1. 1. 10.1206/0003-0082(2006)3523[1:EFOTGF]2.0.CO;2. 0003-0082.