The National
Barkfly Recording
Scheme

Barkflies

The order Psocoptera is one of the least recorded insect groups. This lack of recording is not because the species are rarely encountered – on the contrary; almost every tree in Britain is likely to be home to some of these creatures and psocids are far more abundant than some insect orders (e.g. lacewings).

Ninety-nine species have been recorded in Britain which, compared to other insect groups, is not a dauntingly large number to learn to identify. There are two distinct groups: species that occur outdoors (the barkflies) and those that are only recorded indoors (the booklice). The barkfly recording scheme is only concerned with the former group of which currently 68 species have been recorded in Britain and Ireland.

A potential deterrent for studying a group is the lack of good identification literature. The Royal Entomological Society handbook covering Psocoptera has recently been revised (2005) and now includes keys for every species (bar one).

The lack of recording ensures that even casual recorders of the group have a good chance of making significant finds. Wherever you live you are likely to turn up species previously unrecorded in the area and may even find species new to Britain. Over the last eight years six new species have been found and there is every chance that further species are waiting to be discovered.

News

• While removing Virginia creeper from a Cotswold stone house in Lechlade on 23rd June David Scott-Langley made a remarkable discovery. He uncovered a colony (about 50 specimens) of the very dark barkfly Hyalopsocus morio - a species not seen in Britain since 1867! Is this genuinely rare or under-recorded? It will be worth checking out any lichen-covered stone walls you come across.

• The number of barkfly records held by the scheme has just reached 7,500 - enough to warrant sending an update to the NBN Gateway. Viewing the mapped records of a species can occasionally show previously unsuspected patterns. For example, take a look at the ecilius fuscopterus . Why is its distribution in Britain (as opposed to Ireland) so different from other species? (Apr 2009)

• Distinguishing Stenopsocus immaculatus from S. lachlani has always been difficult in Britain but a recent study has thrown light on the problem. It turns out that British S. immaculatus specimens are so much more variable than those on the Continent that most of the usual identification characters do not work. All the previous records of S. lachlani are now thought to be of S. immaculatus and it appears that S. lachlani does not occur in Britain. For details of the findings look at the published article. (Mar 2009)

• The online key for identifying adult British and Irish barkflies is now ready for use. The preparation of the key has been a substantial piece of work and particular thanks go to Jim Bacon from BRC for all his help. If you have any comments or queries about the key please contact to Bob Saville (bob.saville@blueyonder.co.uk). (Dec 2008)