CLOSED: What Bug Is This?

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Ryleighs_Da Spring, TX(Zone 8b) Mar 14, 2015

Was trimming my Fig Tree this morning and found a string/group of about 30 of these following each other around - my books don't picture them and this is first time I've seen them, which doesn't really mean much!

About: 1/4 to 3/8" long, 3/16 to 1/4 high, winged, and as you can see, sort of "waspish looking. The fig branch they are on is 3/4" diameter. They're pretty fast, not seemingly aggressive (put my finger close to them and make them change direction) and not eating anything (possibly males/females in the breeding cycle?)

By the time I submitted this - they were gone.

Thanks for you knowledge . . .

Jimmy

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Ryleighs_Da Spring, TX(Zone 8b) Mar 14, 2015

Oops! Where did my photo go?? Here, I'll try again.

Thumbnail by Ryleighs_Da
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Flapdoodle Minot, ND Mar 15, 2015

These are a type of psocid known as bark lice or tree cattle; they are harmless. See http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/beneficial-41_barklice2_Cerastipscus_sp.htm

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Ryleighs_Da Spring, TX(Zone 8b) Mar 15, 2015

Flapdoodle - Thank you very much - it's always nice to know what something is called. After reading the link you sent, they are exactly what was on my tree right down to their "cattle" behavior. Good to know they're beneficial too.

j.

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Flapdoodle Minot, ND Mar 15, 2015

You're quite welcome - I've also seen these on trees (maples) when I lived further south...

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