Pale-winged Barklouse vs Red-shouldered Rove Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Pale-winged Barklouse	Red-shouldered Rove Beetle
Scientific Name	Peripsocus phaeopterus	Tachinus rufipes
Order	Psocoptera	Coleoptera
Family	Peripsocidae	Staphylinidae
Size	2-3 mm	5-8 mm
Habitat	Forests	Forests
Diet	Wood Feeders	Fungus Feeders
Regions	Europe	Holarctic: Europe, Asia, North America
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

Pale-winged Barklouse

A common European bark louse with smoky brown wings. It lives on tree trunks where it scrapes algae and lichen from the bark.

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Did You Know?

Females guard their egg clusters on tree bark until they hatch.

Red-shouldered Rove Beetle

A robust, medium-sized rove beetle with reddish-brown legs and a shiny dark body. It is one of the most ubiquitous Tachyporinae in northern temperate forests and agricultural landscapes.

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Did You Know?

This species has a remarkably broad diet and habitat range, making it one of the most ecologically versatile rove beetles.