Subject: Bugs in tree
Geographic location of the bug: Tampa fl
Date: 02/11/2018
Time: 05:16 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Found these bugs on a live tree in our back yard. What are they please?
How you want your letter signed: Miranda
Dear Miranda,
These benign insects are in the family Psocidae, and they are commonly called Barklice. Based on this BugGuide image, we are relatively certain your species is Cerastipsocus venosus. Barklice frequently form large aggregations of both winged adults, and brightly patterned wingless nymphs as they feed upon, according to BugGuide, “accumulations of fungi, algae, lichen, dead bark and other materials that occur on tree trunks and large limbs,” leading to the common name Tree Cattle.
