Helleria brevicornis

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Helleria brevicornis
Helleria brevicornis 2.jpg
Plate from first published description [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Isopoda
Suborder: Oniscidea
Family: Tylidae
Genus: Helleria
Species:
H. brevicornis
Binomial name
Helleria brevicornis
(Ebner, 1868)
Distribution of Helleria brevicornis.jpg
Synonyms [2]
  • Syspastus brevicornisEbner, 1868
  • Syspastus brevicornis Budde-Lund, 1879
  • Synlomogaster dasypus Costa, 1882
  • Syngastron dasypus Costa, 1883
  • Syspastus sardous Verhoeff, 1908

Helleria brevicornis, the sole species of the monotypic genus Helleria, is a terrestrial woodlouse endemic to the islands and coastal regions of the northern Tyrrhenian sea. [3] H. brevicornis is of interest due to its endemism, unique ecology and basal position in the suborder Oniscidea.

Contents

Description

H. brevicornis is yellow-brown in colour and grows up to 27 millimetres (1.1 in) in length. This species has vestigial antennules, short antennae and a trapezoid telson. [4] Each of its compound eyes consist of 19 ommatidia. [5] Juveniles have bumps and setae while adults are almost smooth with light spots. In adults the plates of the posterior (pleonites) fuse with each other after moulting. Like all other members of the family Tylidae, it is capable of rolling up into a perfect ball with antennas tucked in. [4]

Distribution

The species is found primarily in the oak forests of Corsica, from coastal areas up to an altitude of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) above sea level, and on Sardinia. It is also known to occur in isolated locations on islands of the Tuscan Archipelago (Elba, Pianosa & Capraia), the Lérins Islands, the Italian coast (Monte Massoncello) the French coast (Massif de l'Estérel & Grasse region) up to an altitude of 600 metres (2,000 ft) above sea level. [4] Records of this species at Genoa and at Ospedaletti are uncorroborated. [3] A molecular phylogenetic analysis found that the colonisation of the French and Italian mainland and of the Tuscan Archipelago occurred most recently but failed to conclusively determine whether the distribution was caused by climate change during the Late Pleistocene period or through accidental human transportation of the species. [6]

Ecology

A detritivore, H. brevicornis lives amongst and feeds on the leaf litter and humus layers of forests soils and is known to dig burrows 10 centimetres (3.9 in) deep. [7] It is found living in large subsocial groups and is known to engage in conspecific coprophagy. [8] Like other peracarids, females of H. brevicornis provide developing embryos with water, oxygen and nutrients through a specialised structure known as the marsupium. [9] Unlike many other terrestrial isopods, H. brevicornis females lack a seminal receptacle. This means that they cannot store sperm, and must breed with a male every time they want to produce a new brood of young. [10] In contrast, most other terrestrial isopod females do possess a seminal receptacle, and can therefore produce multiple broods after breeding only once. The hindgut of H. brevicornis is host to the mesomycetozoean parasite Eccrinoides helleriae . [11]

Mate guarding

H. brevicornis has followed a unique evolutionary path among terrestrial isopods, [12] [13] and is the only fully terrestrial isopod that has retained the ancestral behaviour of mate guarding [14] which has been observed in all aquatic isopods and some supralittoral species of the genus Ligia . [15] During the breeding period, a male will guard a female who is about to become sexually receptive by riding on top of and tightly gripping her. This precopulatory mate guarding begins 1 to 20 days before the parturial moult of the female. Copulation occurs within 5 to 12 hours after the female sheds the posterior part of her exoskeleton. The male continues the 'nuptial ride' after mating and stops when the female lays fertilised eggs in her newly formed marsupium. [16]

Taxonomic history

The genus Helleria and type species Helleria brevicornis were first described by Dr. Victor von Ebner, in a publication dated 8 January 1868, from a specimen collected in Corsica. He named the genus Helleria after his friend Camill Heller, who was known for his work on crustacean anatomy, and the specific epithet brevicornis after the Latin for 'short-horned' in reference to the woodlouse's short antennae. [1] Later that year, in a journal published in December, Rev. Alfred Norman described a new genus of amphipods which he also named Helleria, [17] which would eventually be renamed Guernea. [18] In 1879 Gustav Budde-Lund declared Helleria brevicornis a junior synonym to Syspastus brevicornis, a name which he popularised in his seminal 1885 catalog of terrestrial isopods. [19] Meanwhile, Achille Costa had named a woodlouse he found in Sardinia in 1882 Synlomagaster dasypus and subsequently Syngastron dasypus in 1883 [20] but subsequent investigation showed it to be the same as H. brevicornis. While other authors had previously pointed out the precedence of von Ebner's publication, [21] an 1893 book by Rev. Thomas Stebbings [22] ensured subsequent authors (with the notable exception of Karl Verhoeff) used Helleria brevicornis Ebner to describe this woodlouse.

Since it was first described, some authors had placed Helleria and Tylos in the same family while others had separated them into two different families. The current taxonomy of placing the two genera in the family Tylidae has persisted since 1960 with Albert Vandel's publication of Isopodes terrestres. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isopoda</span> Order of arthropods

Isopoda is an order of crustaceans. Members of this group are called Isopods and include both terrestrial and aquatic species such as woodlice. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons, two pairs of antennae, seven pairs of jointed limbs on the thorax, and five pairs of branching appendages on the abdomen that are used in respiration. Females brood their young in a pouch under their thorax.

<i>Porcellio laevis</i> Species of woodlouse

Porcellio laevis is a species of woodlouse in the genus Porcellio. As the species epithet laevis as well as the vernacular name "swift woodlouse" suggests, the species is capable of quick bursts of speed when provoked.

Trichorhina mulaiki is a species of woodlouse in the family Platyarthridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodlouse</span> Crustacean from the polyphyletic suborder Oniscidea

A woodlouse is any crustacean belonging to the suborder Oniscidea within the order Isopoda. They get their name from often being found in old wood, and from louse, a parasitic insect, although woodlice are neither parasitic nor insects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant isopod</span> Genus of crustaceans

A giant isopod is any of the almost 20 species of large isopods in the genus Bathynomus. They are abundant in the cold, deep waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Bathynomus giganteus, the species upon which the generitype is based, is often considered the largest isopod in the world, though other comparably poorly known species of Bathynomus may reach a similar size. The giant isopods are noted for their resemblance to the much smaller common woodlouse, to which they are related.

<i>Trichoniscus pusillus</i> Species of woodlouse

Trichoniscus pusillus, sometimes called the common pygmy woodlouse, is one of the five most common species of woodlice in the British Isles. It is acknowledged to be the most abundant terrestrial isopod in Britain. It is found commonly across Europe north of the Alps, and has been introduced to Madeira, the Azores and North America.

<i>Hyloniscus riparius</i> Species of woodlouse

Hyloniscus riparius is a species of woodlouse found in Central and Eastern Europe and subsequently introduced to North America. It is strongly associated with flood plains and can tolerate periods of up to eight weeks submerged under water. In North America, it was first found at St. John's, Newfoundland in 1951, and later in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

<i>Androniscus dentiger</i> Species of woodlouse

Androniscus dentiger, the rosy woodlouse or pink woodlouse is a species of woodlouse found from the British Isles to North Africa.

<i>Ligidium hypnorum</i> Species of woodlouse

Ligidium hypnorum is a species of woodlouse found across Europe and western Asia. It is a fast-moving, active species that rarely grows longer than 9 mm (0.35 in). It is dark and shiny, and is similar in appearance to the common species Philoscia muscorum, and also the rarer Oritoniscus flavus. In Great Britain, it was first discovered at Copthorne Common, Surrey, in 1873, and most later records are also from South East England. It is considered a good indicator species for ancient woodland.

<i>Hemilepistus reaumuri</i> Species of woodlouse

Hemilepistus reaumuri is a species of woodlouse that lives in and around the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East, "the driest habitat conquered by any species of crustacean, not including insects which are now known to be crustaceans pancrustacea". It reaches a length of 22 mm (0.87 in) and a width of up to 12 mm (0.47 in), and has seven pairs of legs which hold its body unusually high off the ground. The species was described in the Description de l'Égypte after the French Campaign in Egypt and Syria of 1798–1801, but was first formally named by Henri Milne-Edwards in 1840 as Porcellio reaumuri. It reached its current scientific name in 1930 after the former subgenus Hemilepistus was raised to the rank of genus.

<i>Ligia</i> Genus of woodlice

Ligia is a genus of isopods, commonly known as rock lice or sea slaters. Most Ligia species live in tidal zone cliffs and rocky beaches, but there are several fully terrestrial species which occur in high-humidity environments.

<i>Mesoniscus</i> Genus of woodlice

Mesoniscus is a genus of woodlice, placed in its own family, Mesoniscidae, and section, Microcheta. It contains two species – Mesoniscus alpicolus and Mesoniscus graniger – that live in Central and Eastern Europe, mostly in and around caves.

<i>Porcellio spinicornis</i> Species of woodlouse

Porcellio spinicornis is a species of woodlouse in the family Porcellionidae. This species is widespread in Europe, and has also been introduced to North America. It has wide spiny frontal lateral lobes.

Porcellio siculoccidentalis is a species of woodlouse in the genus Porcellio, which is endemic to western Sicily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Invertebrate iridescent virus 31</span> Species of virus

Iridovirus armadillidium1, formerly known as Invertebrate iridescent virus 31 (IIV-31), and also known informally as isopod iridovirus, is a species of invertebrate iridescent virus in the genus Iridovirus. Oniscidea serve as hosts. Infection is associated with decreased responsiveness in the host, increased mortality, and most strikingly, the emergence of an iridescent blue or bluish-purple colour due to the reflection of light off a paracrystalline arrangement of virions within the tissues.

<i>Hawaiioscia</i> Genus of woodlouse

Hawaiioscia is a genus of woodlouse known from the Hawaii, Rapa Nui, and Costa Rica. The genus was originally described from Hawaii on the presence of four troglobitic species on separate islands. A species within this genus was then described from Rapa Nui which lacked troglobtic traits, but only persists in cave-dwelling relict populations. Surprisingly, another species was then described from along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.

<i>Porcellio hoffmannseggii</i> Species of woodlouse

Porcellio hoffmannseggii, commonly called the titan isopod, is a species of woodlouse of the genus Porcellio described in 1833. This very large species is native to the southern Iberian Peninsula, Morocco and the Balearic Islands.

Armadillidium maculatum, also known as the zebra isopod or zebra pillbug is an Armadillidium species of woodlouse, named for its black and white patterns. It is native to southern France.

Trichorhina acuta is a species of woodlouse, originally described by Araujo and Buckup in 1994. Distributed throughout Brazil, it can be found living synantropically, under dead plant matter or stones.

Paraplatyarthrus australiensis is a species of woodlouse found in Western Australia. It was originally described in genus Trichorhina.

References

  1. 1 2 Dr. Victor von Ebner (1868). "Helleria, eine neue Isopoden-Gattung aus der Familie der Oniscoiden. Mit einer Tafel. (Tab. 1)". Verhandlungen der ZoologischBotanischen Gesellschaft in Wien (in Latin and German). 18: 95–114 – via archive.org.
  2. ↑ Helmut Schmalfuss (2003). "World catalog of terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea) — revised and updated version" (PDF). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Serie A. 654: 341 pp. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-02-24. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  3. 1 2 Franco, FERRARA; Stefano, TAITI (1996). "The terrestrial Isopoda of Corsica (Crustacea, Oniscidea)" (PDF). Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (in French and English). 18 (3–4) – via Bionames.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Vandel, Albert (1960). Isopodes terrestres (Première partie) (PDF). Faune de France (in French). Vol. 64. Paris: Fédération Française des Sociétés de Sciences Naturelles.
  5. ↑ Grimaldi, Ilaria Maria (2003). "FILOGEOGRAFIA DI HELLERIA BREVICORNIS" [Phylogeography of Helleria brevicornis] (in Italian). Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ↑ Gentile, Gabriele; Campanaro, Alessandro; Carosi, Monica; Sbordoni, Valerio; Argano, Roberto (February 2010). "Phylogeography of Helleria brevicornis Ebner 1868 (Crustacea, Oniscidea): Old and recent differentiations of an ancient lineage". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . 54 (2): 640–646. Bibcode:2010MolPE..54..640G. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.10.005. ISSN   1055-7903. PMID   19853050.
  7. ↑ Culliney, Thomas W. (2013-09-25). "Role of Arthropods in Maintaining Soil Fertility". Agriculture. 3 (4): 629–659. doi: 10.3390/agriculture3040629 .
  8. ↑ Mead, Françoise; Gabouriaut, Danielle (July 1988). "Belated and Decreased Reproduction in Isolated Females of Helleria brevicornis Ebner (Crustacea, Oniscoïdea). Recuperation After the Addition of Faeces to the Female Environment". International Journal of Invertebrate Reproduction and Development. 14 (1): 95–104. doi:10.1080/01688170.1988.10510368. ISSN   0168-8170.
  9. ↑ Warburg, M.R. (1993). "The Reproductive System and Reproduction". Evolutionary Biology of Land Isopods. Springer. p. 85. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-21889-1. ISBN   978-3-662-21891-4. S2CID   42882939.
  10. ↑ Longo, Guglielmo; Trovato, M; Mazzei, Veronica (2011-09-01). "Variability of the female genital system morphology and of sperm storage in terrestrial isopods (Isopoda, Oniscidea)". Italian Journal of Zoology. 78 (3): 287–297. doi: 10.1080/11250003.2010.544333 .
  11. ↑ Lichtwardt, Robert W. (1986). "Appendices" (PDF). The Trichomycetes Fungal Associates of Arthropods. Springer-Verlag. pp. 225, 295, 302. doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-4890-3. ISBN   978-1-4612-9348-4. S2CID   45382056.
  12. ↑ Hurtado, Luis A.; Lee, Eun J.; Mateos, Mariana; Taiti, Stefano (2014-04-15). "Global Diversification at the Harsh Sea-Land Interface: Mitochondrial Phylogeny of the Supralittoral Isopod Genus Tylos (Tylidae, Oniscidea)". PLOS ONE. 9 (4): e94081. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...994081H. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094081 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   3988090 . PMID   24736501.
  13. ↑ Michel-Salzat, Alice; Bouchon, Didier (September 2000). "Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial LSU rRNA in oniscids". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série III. 323 (9): 827–837. doi:10.1016/s0764-4469(00)01221-x. ISSN   0764-4469. PMID   11072627.
  14. ↑ Santhanakumar, J.; Mohanraju, R.; Kirubagaran, R.; Subramoniam, T. (2014-01-08). "Mate guarding behaviour in the supralittoral isopod,Ligia dentipes(Oniscidea) from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands". Invertebrate Reproduction & Development. 58 (2): 128–137. Bibcode:2014InvRD..58..128S. doi:10.1080/07924259.2013.870935. ISSN   0792-4259. S2CID   84949037.
  15. ↑ Jormalainen, Veijo (2007-08-01). "Mating Strategies in Isopods". In Duffy, J.E.; Thiel, M. (eds.). Evolutionary Ecology of Social and Sexual Systems. Oxford University Press. pp. 167–190. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195179927.001.0001. ISBN   9780195179927.
  16. ↑ Mead, Françoise; Gabouriaut, Danielle (1977-01-01). "Chevauchée Nuptiale Et Accouplement Chez L'Isopode Terrestre Helleria Brevicornis Ebner (Tylidae). Analyse Des Facteurs Qui Contrôlent Ces Deux Phases Du Comportement Sexuel". Behaviour (in French and English). 63 (3): 262–279. doi:10.1163/156853977X00441. ISSN   1568-539X.
  17. ↑ Norman, Alfred Merle (December 1868). "LII.—On Crustacea Amphipoda new to Science or to Britain". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 4. 2 (12): 418–419. doi:10.1080/00222936808695843. ISSN   0374-5481 – via BHL.
  18. ↑ Horton; et al. (2018). "Guernea (Guernea)". World Amphipoda Database. Retrieved 2018-08-01– via WoRMS.
  19. ↑ Budde-Lund, Gustav (1885). Crustacea Isopoda Terrestria per Familias et Genera et Species (in Latin). Copenhagen: Hauniae, Sumtibus Auctoris. pp. 280–281. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.109769. OCLC   1042907183 – via archive.org.
  20. ↑ Costa, prof. A. (1883). "Diagnosi dì nuovi Artropodi trovati in Sardegna". Bollettino della Società Entomologica Italiana (in Italian). 15: 332–341 – via archive.com.
  21. ↑ Eaton, Rev. A. E. (15 November 1882). "LIII.—Note on Platyarthrus Hoffmanseggii, Brandt, and Helleria brevicornis, Ebner, Terrestrial Isopoda". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 5. 10 (60): 458. doi:10.1080/00222938209459750. ISSN   0374-5481 – via BHL.
  22. ↑ Thomas Roscoe Rede Stebbing (1893). "XXVII Woodlice and other terrestrial Isopods". A History of Crustacea: Recent Malacostraca. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co. p. 425 – via archive.org.
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