Philoscia muscorum

Philoscia muscorum
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Isopoda
Suborder:	Oniscidea
Family:	Philosciidae
Genus:	Philoscia
Species:	P. muscorum
Binomial name
Philoscia muscorum (Scopoli, 1763)  [1]

Philoscia muscorum, the common striped woodlouse ^[2] or fast woodlouse, ^[3] is a common European woodlouse. It is widespread in Europe, the British Isles and is found from southern Scandinavia to Ukraine and Greece. ^[4] It has also spread to Washington and many states in New England, also the mid-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as Nova Scotia. ^[4]

Description

P. muscorum may reach 11 millimetres (0.43 in) in length, with a shiny body which is mottled and greyish-brown in colour. ^[3] The fast woodlouse is, as its name suggests, faster than other common species; its body is raised up off the ground rather more than the others and the head is always very dark in colour.

Classification

Twelve subspecies are recognised: ^[1]

• Philoscia muscorum albescensCollinge, 1918
• Philoscia muscorum aureomaculataCollinge, 1918
• Philoscia muscorum biellensisVerhoeff, 1936
• Philoscia muscorum dalmatiaVerhoeff, 1901
• Philoscia muscorum frigidanaVerhoeff, 1928
• Philoscia muscorum maculataCollinge, 1918
• Philoscia muscorum marinensisVerhoeff, 1933
• Philoscia muscorum muscorum(Scopoli, 1763)
• Philoscia muscorum rufaLegrand, 1943
• Philoscia muscorum standeniCollinge, 1917
• Philoscia muscorum trianguliferaVerhoeff, 1918
• Philoscia muscorum virescensCollinge, 1917

Color variation

P. muscorum has variable coloration. While most commonly brown or grey, it may also be yellow, red, or orange.

An orange individual next to two grey ones

Two orange-colored individuals

See also

• List of woodlice of the British Isles

References

1. "Philoscia muscorum (Scopoli, 1763)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved October 19, 2010.
2. "Common striped woodlouse (Philoscia muscorum)". ARKive. Archived from the original on 2009-06-11. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
3. "Fast woodlouse - Philoscia muscorum". Natural England. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
4. "Philoscia muscorum muscorum" (PDF). National Museum of Natural History . Retrieved January 28, 2009.