Booklouse is any of a group of tiny, usually wingless insects that live in sheltered and slightly humid environments. Booklice commonly inhabit buildings. People often find them among old books, cardboard boxes, or such textile products as carpets and upholstery. The insects normally have cream to light-brown coloring. They grow less than 1/12 inch (2 millimeters) long.
Booklice eat primarily moulds and other fungi. Thus, they attack materials on which fungi grows. In buildings, such materials include book bindings, paper, plaster, wallpaper paste, or wood. Booklice may also consume fungi on nuts, cereals, grains, or other stored foods. Female booklice can produce from a couple dozen to several hundred eggs during their lifetimes. In some species, the eggs may hatch without the male ever fertilizing them. Certain young booklice can reach maturity in as little as 15 days. The lifespans of booklice range from about 24 days to six months.
In small numbers, booklice cause no harm to people. They do not bite or carry disease, and their tiny size often makes them hard to notice. Large populations, however, may damage book bindings and stored products.
See also Insect (table: The orders of insects).
