Wood-boring Barklouse vs Scarce Umber Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Wood-boring Barklouse Scarce Umber Moth
Scientific Name Psilopsocus mimulus Agriopis aurantiaria
Order Psocoptera Lepidoptera
Family Psilopsocidae Geometridae
Size 2-3 mm 35-40 mm wingspan (males)
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Central America, South America Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Wood-boring Barklouse

An unusual psocid that bores into dead wood rather than living on bark surfaces. It creates small tunnels in decaying timber.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the very few bark lice that actually bores into wood.

Scarce Umber Moth

An autumn-flying moth with warm orange-brown wings marked with darker speckles. Females are wingless and crawl up tree trunks to await males.

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Did You Know?

It emerges so late in autumn that it sometimes flies in early snowfall.