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Bark Lice of Zihuatanejo

ORDER PSOCODEA

Order Psocodea is a diverse order of insects that includes the barklice, booklice, and parasitic lice. Members of this group are found worldwide in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from forests and grasslands to human dwellings and the bodies of birds and mammals. Free-living species, traditionally known as barklice and booklice, are typically small, soft-bodied insects that feed on algae, fungi, lichen, pollen, detritus, and other organic materials found on tree bark, leaves, rocks, or stored products. In contrast, the parasitic lice are highly specialized ectoparasites that feed on the feathers, skin debris, or blood of their hosts.

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