bug ID
I’m not sure what this is. Found them on an oak tree in my yard. In Houston, TX. Thanks
James Benton

Hi James,
These are Bark Lice, Cerastipsocus venosus, but we like the common name Tree Cattle. The immature Tree Cattle are boldly striped black and yellow creatures without wings. Tree Cattle will not harm your trees as they eat lichens and fungus.

Bugs inside Milk Powder Cans
Dear Sirs,
We just searched websites for Booklice bug and found your website. We’re seeking a technical advice concerning bug contamination that recently found in our canned milk powder, made of tinplate metal can-packaging. Kindly view the attached picture showing the bugs that might be Booklice bug, found inside the cans and suspected came from carton layers that are used to stack the empty cans on a pallet up to 2 meters can-stack height. We use corrugated Carton layers with specification of Medium 100 triple layer, meaning that the top flute and bottom layer are made from ex recycle carton materials. Why Booklice bug loves to stay in carton layers; hope you can provide us some advices on how to overcome it. What pest-control required to get rid of these bugs? Looking forward to your valuable advice; with kind regards,
Kristianto
Jakarta, Indonesia

Hi Kristianto,
First off, we agree that you have Booklice or Psocids, insects in the order Psocoptera, probably the family Ectopsocidae. They feed on starch which explains their presence in the cardboard. They feed on sizing, paste and glue of book bindings as well. Your problem would seem to be how to prevent the Booklice from being transfered into the cans during the packing process. Sorry, we do not offere extermination advice. Booklice are in the order Psocoptera and are not true lice, nor do they harm people or bite. They would much rather eat mold and fungi. Most Booklice are in the family Liposcelidae and you can find some additional photos on BugGuide. We also located a North Carolina University website that states: “The presence of booklice can be quite an annoyance; however, they rarely cause significant damage to items. Most often, the damp conditions and developing mold or fungi have already caused the damage.” Large numbers of Booklice may be present in stacks of newspapers stored in damp places. The previously mentioned NCU website also gives the following advice; “Non-chemical management Reducing moisture and maintaining relative humidity below 50% will provide excellent control of booklice. Use a fan or dehumidifier to dry out damp rooms or other locations. Repair any leaky plumbing. Try to determine and remedy the cause of any condensation around doors, windows, air conditioning units, or other areas. Eliminate any standing water. Do not over-water houseplants. Reduce or eliminate potential harborage areas by sealing up cracks and crevices. Remove or dispose of items that could be harboring mold and fungi, such as old books, cardboard, papers, wallpaper, and food goods stored in damp conditions. Those items that cannot be removed or disposed of should be stored in airtight plastic bags or containers in cool, dry, and well ventilated areas. Clean up any spilled food goods such as cereal or flour that could serve as a source for mold growth. “

What on earth?
Hey Bugman.
Your site has become a favorite of mine lately. Who knew there were so many weird bugs in South Georgia? I have found most of them fairly quickly. These were on a tree locally known as a swamp maple. We’re about 20 miles inland from the mouth of the Savannah River. They were moving in a cluster from the ground up, stopping and re-grouping at knots and dark spots on the bark. They are about three eighths of an inch long. Tan striped box elder bugs??? Really curious what they are and what they are doing….kind of looks like moving a queen or something. (Also happy to finally get a decent photo of a bug to ask about! I have blurry bad shots of bordered leaf bugs, cicada killers, winged ant lions, and a couple of whatzits! Macro is new to me) Thanks,
Cleo

Hi Cleo,
These wonderful insects are known as Tree Cattle or Bark Lice. Though they might appear to be harmful insects, they are actually quite beneficial. They feed on debris found on the trunks of trees including lichen, moss, algae, fungi, spores, pollen and possibly the remains of other insects. The larger winged insect in your photo is the adult and the others are immature numphs.

Please help identify
I have been searching the internet, trying to figure out what kind of bug this is. I know it’s some form of a true bug, but cannot pinpoint the species. Is it harmful to my trees, etc.? Thanks for any help you can provide.

These are Barklice, and they are in the order Psocoptera. They are not harmful to your trees. According to Eric Eaton, they probably feed on fungus spores which might make them beneficial to your tree.

Bugged in Seattle
Hello,
These miniscule little buggers have infested my flour and grain boxes, getting into the new boxes of corn flour, wheat flour, and oatmeal within days of bringing them home. Also they liked to hid under the spice bottles, but didn’t seem to get inside any of them. They are 1mm long and look like ants under a 10X hand scope. Attached are photos, sorry they are not great, but they are tiny little rascals. What are these bugs? And more importantly, how do we get rid of them? Please find attached 10X microscope photos of the bugs mentioned below. I do not believe they are springtails, although you are right that they do resemble them. They are definately not immmature cockroaches, as they never get bigger than 1.0mm long. I have attached a photomicrograph of a springtail as well for direct comparison. These are one milimeter long and slightly less than 0.5mm across and resemble little ants. When disturbed they appear to fall on their backs and "play dead". At times they appear to "jump" but not very far 1-2cm, almost like a piece of small plastic being repelled by static electricity. We live in Seattle and they have attacked all our grains and interestingly, when I visited my parents in Ohio, they also had the same bugs in their oatmeal and grain boxes. Hope this additional info and photos help you to identify these bugs.
Cheers,
Kyle Horner

Hi again Kyle,
Thank you for sending the much improved images. These are Booklice, also known as Psocids. According to Hogue: “The most common [species] is the true Book Louse, Liposcelis bostrychophila, a cosmopolitan pset for the food industry, households, museums, and libraries.”

chilly bugs
Hey Bugman, these little critters were obviously chilly one morning. After the sun came out they were gone, then back the next morning. We are in West Tennessee. Don’t know where to look them up since we have no clue what they are. Thanks. As always, love your informative site.
Richard

Hi Richard,
We wrote to Eric Eaton for help identifying your aggregation. Here is his response: “Wow! Spectacular images of barklice, order Psocoptera, family Psocidae. Also known as “tree cattle,” especially in the nymphal stage. Some species create webbing on the bark, but I have never heard of them becoming pests. Pretty sure they feed on fungal spores and the like. Eric “