Family ARCHIPSOCIDAE

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Introduction

The family Archipsocidae comprises five genera and 76 species, of which only three species (in two genera) occur in tropical Australia. They are small, often polymorphic, gregarious species, which live under dense webs on bark.

The fore and hind wings have reduced, evanescent veins. The membrane, veins and margins are strongly setose in the forewings but the hind wing veins are glabrous although the membrane and margin are setose. The tarsi are 2-segmented and the claws do not have a tooth. The pulvillus is broad. The gonapophyses are very reduced in oviparous species, consisting of a pointed dorsal valve and a broad, setose external valve. In viviparous species the gonapophyses are absent or reduced to a tiny rudiment of the external valve. The phallosome is simple, without any sclerification of the penial bulb. The eggs are encrusted with debris but are not covered with silken threads.

General References

Badonnel, A. 1987. Archipsocidae (Insecta, Psocoptera) de l'Etat de Jalisco, Mexique. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 94: 117-128 34 figs

Badonnel, A., Mockford, E.L. & Garcia Aldrete, A.N. 1984. Pararchipsocinae, nouvelle subdivision des Archipsocidae (Insecta, Psocoptera) avec description de Pararchipsocus n.g. et de onze espèces inédites de cette sous-famille. Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris [published 1907-1971] 4 3(6A): 741-768 105 figs

Smithers, C.N. 1964. The Archipsocidae (Psocoptera) of Australia. Journal of the Entomological Society of Queensland 3: 79-82 11 figs

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