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Atropetae

Emilie Bess and Kevin P. Johnson
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taxon links [up-->]Psoquillidae [up-->]Trogiidae [up-->]Lepidopsocidae [down<--]Trogiomorpha Interpreting the tree
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Containing group: Trogiomorpha

Introduction

Infraorder Atropetae includes families Lepidopsocidae, Psoquillidae, and Trogiidae and comprises 31 genera and about 300 species distributed worldwide.  The North American fauna includes 25 species from 13 genera.

Characteristics

Synapomorphies

General Characters

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

Monophyly of infraorder Atropetae is supported by two characters of the female genitalia: the ovipostior composed of the elongated external valves of the gonapophyses joined together at midline by a membrane, and the presence of glandular accessory bodies in the spermathecal sac.  Molecular analysis of nine species of Atropeae also supports the monophyly of the infraorder and indicates a sister relationship between families Trogiidae and Psoquillidae (genes 18S & Histone3 nDNA, 16S rDNA; Yoshizawa et al. 2006).

References

Lienhard, C. and C.N. Smithers. 2002. Psocoptera (Insecta) World Catalogue and Bibliography. Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Geneva, Switzerland.

Mockford, E.L. 1993. North American Psocoptera (Insecta). Gainesville, Florida: Sandhill Crane Press.

Smithers, C.N. 1996. Psocoptera. Pp. 1-80, 363-372 (Index) in Wells A. (ed.) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 26. Psocoptera, Phthiraptera, Thysanoptera. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, Australia.

Smithers, C.N. 1972. The classification and phylogeny of the Psocoptera. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 14: 1–349.

Yoshizawa, K., C. Lienhard, and K.P. Johnson. 2006. Molecular systematics of the suborder Trogiomorpha (Insecta: Psocodea: ‘Psocoptera’). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 146: 287–299.

Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name Echmepteryx hageni
Location Dixville, N.H.
Comments 10/9/2007
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Life Cycle Stage adult
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Copyright © Tom Murray
About This Page

Emilie Bess
Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA

Kevin P. Johnson
Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Emilie Bess at and Kevin P. Johnson at

All Rights Reserved.

Citing this page:

Bess, Emilie and Kevin P. Johnson. 2009. Atropetae. Version 18 March 2009 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Atropetae/30214/2009.03.18 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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For a more detailed explanation of the different ToL page types, have a look at the Structure of the Tree of Life page.

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