Peripsocus milleri

The NBN Atlas doesn't show any records of this species in East Anglia but this resource seems to be quite incomplete for Psocoptera. However it is described as scarce at the National Barkfly Recording Scheme website and the two that turned up together in my garden moth trap in September 2021 are the first I've identified.

The wing venation and pattern are key to identifying this species. The pattern of the first one I looked at was rather faint but I could make it out sufficiently to be fairly confident about the ID, but checked the subgenital plate on the underside of the abdomen to remove any doubt. The wing pattern of the second individual was clearer although it doesn't show up particularly well in the photo.

Note that the apical lobe of the subgenital plate is described as not having dark sides, yet it clearly does have narrow dark sides. However these are quite different from the much more conspicuously and broadly darkened sides of the lobe of the supposedly commoner Peripsocus subfasciatus which has a similar wing pattern (but with a more distinct dark discal spot).

female Peripsocus milleri showing forewing and subgenital plate, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 21st September 2021

second female Peripsocus milleri showing forewing, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 21st September 2021

This one showed a better-defined discal spot than the previous two but it was still considerably less well-defined than shown in images of subfasciatus so I thought it was probably another milleri. I checked the subgenital plate to make sure and this seems to confirm it as milleri.

female Peripsocus milleri showing forewing and subgenital plate, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 9th October 2021