Common Barklouse vs Common Bark Louse

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Barklouse Common Bark Louse
Scientific Name Cerastipsocus venosus Graphopsocus cruciatus
Order Psocoptera Psocoptera
Family Psocidae Stenopsocidae
Size 4.0-6.0 mm 3-4 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions North America Europe, North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Common Barklouse

A large winged barklouse found in herds on tree trunks in eastern North America. It has prominent veined wings and feeds on algae and lichens.

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Did You Know?

These barklice form conspicuous herds of up to several hundred individuals that march across tree trunks in unison.

Common Bark Louse

A winged bark louse with distinctive cross-shaped wing markings found on tree trunks across Europe. It feeds on algae and lichen on bark.

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Did You Know?

Its cross-shaped wing pattern makes it one of the easiest bark lice to identify.