Porcellio hoffmannseggii | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Superorder: | Peracarida |
Order: | Isopoda |
Suborder: | Oniscidea |
Family: | Porcellionidae |
Genus: | Porcellio |
Species: | P. hoffmannseggii |
Binomial name | |
Porcellio hoffmannseggii Brandt, 1833 | |
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. [1]
Porcellio hoffmannseggii should not be confused with Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii , which is also a woodlouse, from the genus Platyarthrus. [2] These two species share the same abbreviated binomial name of P. hoffmannseggii, which is a potential source of confusion. Porcellio hoffmannseggii may be listed with incorrect spelling as Porcellio hoffmannseggi, missing the final 'i'.
Porcellio hoffmannseggii is considered to be one of the largest terrestrial isopod species, with adults able to grow to be over 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) long. They are typically dark grey or black, with a thin white skirt around the edge of their body. Males of this species have longer uropods than females.
Porcellio hoffmannseggii is a species with multiple identified subspecies. There are current 4 identified subspecies, which are as follows: [3]
Trinomial designation | Classification author and date | Notes on subspecies |
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Porcellio hoffmannseggii hoffmannseggii | Brandt, 1833 | |
Porcellio hoffmannseggii nemethi | Paulian de Felice, 1941 | |
Porcellio hoffmannseggii sordidus | Budde-Lund, 1885 | Considered to be a subspecies that inhabits the western Balearic Islands. [4] |
Porcellio hoffmannseggii tamarisis | Verhoeff, 1937 |
Porcellio hoffmannseggii does not conglobate like some of their other isopod cousins, commonly called pillbugs. It has been observed to guard their young after birth. The species is known to be very territorial for an isopod, which makes captive culturing more difficult. [5]
Porcellio hoffmannseggii is common in the Oued Laou region of north-eastern Morocco, when compared to the distribution of other isopod species in the country. [6] In addition to southern Spain and northern Morocco, this species is also native to Portugal. [7]
Compared to other Porcellio species, this species has been observed to prefer drier environments while kept in captivity. [5]
Armadillidium vulgare, the common pill-bug, potato bug, common pill woodlouse, roly-poly, slater, doodle bug, or carpenter, is a widespread European species of woodlouse. It is the most extensively investigated terrestrial isopod species.
Porcellionidae is a terrestrial family of the order Isopoda.
Porcellio scaber, is a species of woodlouse native to Europe but with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are often found in large numbers in most regions, with many species preying on them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Androniscus dentiger, the rosy woodlouse or pink woodlouse is a species of woodlouse found from the British Isles to North Africa.
Ligidium hypnorum is a species of woodlouse found across Europe and western Asia. It is a fast-moving, active species whichthat 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.
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". 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.
Porcellio pumicatus is a species of woodlouse in the genus Porcellio belonging to the family Porcellionidae. This species is known to occur in Central Italy and on Sardinia. Adults reach about 15 millimetres (0.59 in) long and can mostly be encountered under stones.
Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii is a species of woodlouse which is closely associated with ants' nests, particularly those of Lasius flavus, Lasius niger and species of Myrmica, where it feeds on ant droppings or mildew. It is white, 4 millimetres (0.16 in) long, and has a distinctive oval shape and short antennae. Its distribution appears to follow those of the ants with which it lives, and the British Isles are the north-westerly limit of its range. Elsewhere, P. hoffmannseggii extends south to the Mediterranean Sea. It is found outside Europe in North Africa and Turkey, and has been introduced to Australia and North America.
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.
Trachelipus rathkii, also known as Rathke's Woodlouse, is a species of woodlouse in the genus Trachelipus. It can be found across Europe, except in the Mediterranean Basin. It has also been introduced to North America, where it can be found across most of the northern half of the United States and southern Canada.
Porcellio siculoccidentalis is a species of woodlouse in the genus Porcellio, which is endemic to western Sicily.
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. H. brevicornis is of interest due to its endemism, unique ecology and basal position in the suborder Oniscidea.
Invertebrate iridescent virus 31 (IIV-31), 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.
Armadillidium atticum is a European species of woodlouse endemic to Greece. It is a relatively small species and belongs to the so called "Armadillidium insulanum complex".
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