What is "liposcelis"

Liposcelis is a genus of insects in the order Psocoptera, the booklice and barklice. There are about 126 species. Many species are associated with human habitation and several are well known as pests of stored products. The genus is distributed nearly worldwide.

These booklice mainly attack grain stores. They reduce weight and quality, invade packaged foodstuffs, and infest storage facilities. Even when they do little damage, their mere presence in a shipment of food makes the product unacceptable to buyers. Their importance as pests has grown in recent years due to greater recognition of their presence in stored products and the lack of control options.

These insects are closely related to lice (order Phthiraptera), the common parasites of animals. At least one species, L. bostrychophila, harbors the human and feline pathogen Rickettsia felis.

Species include:

• Liposcelis bicolor
• Liposcelis bostrychophila
• Liposcelis brunnea
• Liposcelis corrodens
• Liposcelis decolor
• Liposcelis deltachi
• Liposcelis entomophila
• Liposcelis formicaria
• Liposcelis fusciceps
• Liposcelis hirsutoides
• Liposcelis lacinia
• Liposcelis mendax
• Liposcelis nasus
• Liposcelis nigra
• Liposcelis ornata
• Liposcelis paeta
• Liposcelis pallens
• Liposcelis pallida
• Liposcelis pearmani
• Liposcelis prenolepidis
• Liposcelis rufa
• Liposcelis silvarum
• Liposcelis triocellata
• Liposcelis villosa