What is this Bug?
September 14, 2009
Dear Bugman, I have this most unusual bug in my downstairs (under the stairs bathroom). I apologise for the Quality of the pictures but it is so hard to get a picture of this bug as it is so tiny. You can see the scale from the last picture with the tap in it.
They seem almost transparent with a brown twinge and I only ever see one or 2 at a time. Usually on the sink or toilet but I have also seen them on the wall. The bathroom is small, quite cold usually and doesnt get a lot of light.
They move very slowly and seem a but unaware of my presence most of the time. They aren’t causing me any problem, more just curious as to what they are?
Thanks for your Help,
Regards,
Denis.
Dublin, Ireland
Barklouse
Hi Denis,
This is a Globular Springtail in the order Symphypleona and the class Collembola. Springtails are primitive insects that are among the most numerous insects on our planet. They are often associated with dark damp areas. When they are very numerous, they can become an annoyance in the shower and other indoor areas, but they are benign. They are thought to feed on molds, so a population explosion of Springtails may be symptomatic of a greater problem.
Correction by Eric Eaton
September 16, 2009
Daniel:
I think that “globular springtail” of September 14 is actually a wingless barklouse (order Psocoptera). The two look extremely similar and I even have trouble telling them apart sometimes. Still, I’d bet on this being a barklouse/booklouse.
Eric
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Posted 15 September 2009
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Bugs on our maple and oak trees
August 7, 2009
I noticed these dark patches on one of our maple trees. At first I thought it was patches of moss growing but when I looked closer, I saw that the patches were actually small bugs. I took a picture of the baby bugs and I have another of the adults with them. I walked my property and found that these patches of bugs were located on ALL my maple and oak trees but not the dogwood or the ash trees… Are these bugs a danger to the trees and if they are, what do I need to do to get rid of them?
Michelle
Southeastern Michigan
Barklice
Hi Michelle,
This seems to be a bumper crop year for Barklice, Cerastipsocus venosus, since we have receive so many letters in the past few weeks. Barklice are benign insects that feed on lichens and will not harm the trees.
Barklice
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Posted 08 August 2009
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Big infestation of tiny bug on Western New York maple
July 31, 2009
Hi! We’ve got a silver maple tree which is just SWARMED with these tiny bugs with striped abdomens. Each bug is about 1/8″ in length, and they gather in these densely-populated spots which are roughly 8 inches in diameter, and these spots are ALL over the tree. Within each spot are HUNDREDS of the little bugs, and 2 or 3 slightly larger winged bugs, which are a little more ant-like than the little bugs.
So what the heck are they doing? Should I worry about the health of the tree and, conversely, our house since the large tree is right next to our house? We’ve lived here for 12 years, and never seen anything like this.
Worried in WNY
Niagara County, northwest corner of NY state
Barklice
Dear Worried,
You will need to change your name to “Not Worried” because these Barklice, Cerastipsocus venosus, are perfectly benign. Though they congregate in large numbers, they will not harm your tree. They feed on lichens and not on the tree, though the presence of lichens might be symptomatic of another problem on your tree. Here is what the Texas A&M University Entomology website offers: “Mouthparts are for chewing. Barklice feed on fungi, algae, dead plant tissues and other debris. Consequently, they are considered harmless and perhaps beneficial to the trees they infest.” We love your scan of these Barklice because most photos we receive show the aggregations. Your scan shows both the winged adult and the striped immature nymph.
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Posted 01 August 2009
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Clusters of tiny striped insects
July 27, 2009
On a walk with my dog outside my house, she began to sniff the trunk of a tree ~3′ off the ground. I went to investigate and found a series of insect clusters. They were each approximately 1/4″ long and have seemingly long antennae (roughly 2x their length). They didn’t have wings from what I could tell, and had very straight alternating black and yellow striping on their bodies.
The photos I’m attaching are as close as my little point and shoot would allow me to go in macro mode, they’ll require a zoom to see more clearly
Steve
Upstate NY
Barklice
Hi Steve,
Despite the name Barklice, and despite the large number on a tree, these Cerastipsocus venosus are benign. They feed on lichen growing on the tree and are not injurious to the tree. These are immature nymphs. Adults have wings.
Barklice
Thank you! I just noticed a very similar submission on your site after doing a simple search for Barklice.
Your knowledge is invaluable.
Thanks again,
Steve Kreis
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Posted 27 July 2009
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Striped insect found in swarms
July 26, 2009
We have just recently found these little bugs in swarms on all of our trees, especially the cedar trees. We don’t see any specific damage being done by them. These are located in Syracuse NY. Please advise if these should be of concern?
Jamie
Syracuse NY 13209
Barklice
Hi Jamie,
Thanks so much for writing to us before you decided to take drastic measures to exterminate these benign Cerastipsocus venosus, Barklice in the family Psocidae. Generally when a large group of insects congregate on plants in this manner, they are feeding on the plant and potentially causing damage. These Barklice are feeding on lichens, not on your tree. They are immature and adult Barklice are winged. You may find images of adult Barklice on BugGuide.
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Posted 26 July 2009
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Need help identifying this bug.
Tue, Nov 11, 2008 at 7:47 PM
Recently these little bugs started showing up in my basement bathroom. (It’s currently 11/11/08.) There are usually several in there at any given time. I have not seen them anywhere else in the house. They may be in other parts of the basement, but the rest is carpeted with a light tan carpet, so the color of these bugs would blend right in if they are elsewhere in the basement.
I’ve tried vacuuming them (and the surrounding area) but within a day or so they’re back. They walk around (rather than fly) and usually don’t do much at all to get out of the way when I go to kill one. They can jump, but apparently only about an inch or so.
They are quite tiny. I shot these pics with a 105mm macro lens plus an extra 52mm extension tube. I placed a ruler in the second shot for size reference. The marks on it are 64ths of an inch.
I would very much like to know what they are, what troubles they might cause, and how to get rid of them. If possible, would prefer to find a way of dealing with the problem without using harsh pesticides.
Thanks in advance for the info.
Chris
Leesburg, Virginia
Booklouse
Hi Chris,
We are pretty certain this is a Booklouse in the order Psocoptera, but we recently misidentified a different insect thinking it was a Booklouse. We will get a second opinion. BugGuide indicates: “Book lice are best known for feeding on the starch in book bindings.”
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Posted 13 November 2008
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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.
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Posted 10 April 2008
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>Can you help identify Small fly like bugs/insects
Hi Lisa Anne and Daniel,
Noted on the site you’ve had some internet issues and resubmitting wasn’t a bad idea. Realy incredible that you get circa 100 requests a day, WOW! Keep up the good work, I realy like this site it’s already helped me identify quite a few bugs 
) Pity you get the "Nasty readers" but the award is good idea, should put them to shame. Kind regards,
Willem
(12/04/2007) Can you help identify Small fly like bugs/insects
Hi Bugman,
I was wondering if you could help me with identifying these little fly like bugs or insects. You ‘ll find top, botom and side views attached. Though they have wings they don’t fly. When you approach them they jump around, about 5 cm high, and only about 3 times max, they seem to get exausted quite quickley. They are about 1 to 1.5 mm in length. They are about everywhere in my appartment though not in great numbers, one or two tend to show up here and there (though they are difficult to see). Any idea what they are living of? location: Brussels, Belgium. Love the site! Its well made and accessible 
Thanks in advance, Kind regards,
Willem
Hi Willem,
These sure look like Book Lice to us. Book Lice are in the order Psocoptera and they feed on sizing, paste and glue in book bindings. They may infest homes. We believe your specimens are in the family Ectopsocidae based on images posted to BugGuide. We don’t get nearly as many letters per day in the winter as we do in the summer, but we still cannot answer every letter we receive. Thanks for being patient.
(12/22/2007)
Hi Brilliant! Thanks to you I’ve now narrowed their identification down to: Dorypteryx domestica. Kind regards
Willem.
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Posted 21 December 2007
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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. “
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Posted 06 December 2007
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Help from Alaska
Hi Folks!
Well, I think that I am fairly conversant on local bugs but this one has got me and our local pro scratching our heads. I found it on a garbage can in a park in the Kenai Peninsula, AK. It is about 3mm long. Any ideas? Keep up the wonderful work that you do!! Cheers and we are Thankful for you guys!
DeWaine Tollefsrud
www.arcticstarstudios.com
Hi DeWaine,
We weren’t real sure about this critter, and entertained the thought that it might be a ground beetle, but Eric Eaton set us straight. Here is what he concludes: “Hi, Daniel: Wow, the image is of some kind of barklouse, order Psocoptera. Wish I could be more specific! It might even be a wingless adult, rather than a nymph. Eric”
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Posted 22 November 2007
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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.
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Posted 18 September 2007
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Herd of insects
This was taken Sept 13th, 2007 at about 6:00 pm in central Virginia on a maple tree. The insects were a half inch long and kept together in a herd. My daughter separated one for a closer look and when we put it back and it realized it’s herd was there, it ran back into the group like a baby duck. Thanks
J.
Dear J,
We love the way your descriptive letter supports the common name of Tree Cattle which we just discovered. Commonly known as Bark Lice, these communal insects are not injurious to trees. We just located a website that mentions the other common name, Tree Cattle. The site also quotes and article by Larry Williams, which state: ” The tiny insects that make the webbing are called psocids (pronounced so-cids). They have numerous common names including tree cattle and bark lice. Basically, they feed on lichen, moss, algae, fungi, spores, pollen and possibly the remains of other insects found on the tree’s bark. As a result are sometimes referred to as bark cleaners. ” Your specimens appear to be the genus Cerastipsocus as evidenced by BugGuide.
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Posted 14 September 2007
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