Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Museums

Regional Maps

Family ELIPSOCIDAE


Compiler and date details

October 2014 - ABRS

C.N. Smithers Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Introduction

The Elipsocidae comprise 24 genera and 119 species, among which seventeen genera and 24 species are listed for the Australian fauna, including Christmas Island (Smithers 1995). Elipsocids are seldom abundant. They are found mainly on bark but occur also in leaf litter and in dried leaves. Polymorphism is known in several genera.

Elipsocids have 13-segmented antennae, occasionally fewer. The tarsi are usually 3-segmented but in some genera they are 2-segmented. The venation of the forewing is usually similar to that of the Caeciliidae but there is considerable variation in detail. In a few genera variation can often be found in one individual: the setae are often in more than one row on the main veins but in a single row on the branches and they may be densely arranged or very sparse and small, sometimes making them difficult to see without adequate magnification. The hind wing veins are usually glabrous but the margin has setae between the ends of R2+3 and R4+5. The gonapophyses are usually complete with the ventral valve pointed, with or without a preapical lobe. The dorsal valve is well developed, pointed, usually with a preapical lobe. The external valve is large and strongly setose. The phallosome has simple but usually strongly developed sclerification of the penial bulb. The eggs are laid in groups and covered with an encrustation.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
18-Jun-2015 ELIPSOCIDAE 15-Jun-2015 REVIEWED Lyn Randall
30-Oct-2014 PSOCOMORPHA 28-Oct-2014 MODIFIED Dr Federica Turco
12-Feb-2010 (import)