Taxonomy, habitat choice and distribution of <i>Kimunpsocus flavonimbatus</i> (Rostock, 1879) comb. n. (Psocodea: ‘Psocoptera’: Psocidae)

Abstract

The bark lice Psocus flavonimbatus Rostock, 1879 and Ptycta chubsugulensis Günther, 1982 are assigned to the genus Kimunpsocus Yoshizawa, 2009. The male terminalia of K. flavonimbatus are described for the first time and compared to the corresponding structures of the other known species of the genus. Previously only known from the type locality in Estonia and the municipality of Kuhmo in Finland, K. flavonimbatus is now reported from 13 new sites and as a new species for four municipalities in eastern Central Finland. Analyses of an extensive material strongly suggest that K. flavonimbatus is a habitat-specialist species, confining its occurrence to pristine and semi-natural spruce-dominated forests. Nonetheless, its occurrence seems to be sporadic even in the old-growth forests. Forest structure of a subset of occupied and unoccupied sites is described and the conservation biology of K. flavonimbatus discussed.