List of woodlice of the British Isles
Encyclopedia
Woodlice
are the most species-rich group of terrestrial crustacean
s. Of the 3,637 species found worldwide, some 35 species in 10 families
are native to the British Isles
. One of these species is believed to be extinct in the British Isles, and a further ten species have become naturalised
in greenhouse
s, presumably transported with exotic plants. Five species are especially common throughout the British Isles, and are known as the "famous five species". They are Oniscus asellus
(the common shiny woodlouse), Porcellio scaber
(the common rough woodlouse), Philoscia muscorum
(the common striped woodlouse), Trichoniscus pusillus
(the common pygmy woodlouse) and Armadillidium vulgare
(the common pill bug). One species, Metatrichoniscoides celticus
, is endemic to Glamorgan
, and is listed as a vulnerable species
in the IUCN Red List
.
Reductoniscus costulatus
Not native to the British Isles
Reductoniscus costulatus occurs naturally in the Seychelles
, on Mauritius
, in Malaysia and in the Hawaiian Islands
, but has been introduced to several parts of Europe, where it survives in greenhouse
s.
Armadillidiidae
"Pill bugs" of the family Armadillidiidae
are often confused with pill millipede
s such as Glomeris marginata
, which is also widespread and common in Britain and Ireland, but pill millipedes have two pairs of legs per body segment, while woodlice have only seven pairs of legs. Six certainly native species occur in the British Isles; some doubt exists as to the status of Eluma caelatum.
and Torridge
estuaries in Devon
in 1906. It is found from the Netherlands
along the Atlantic coast of Europe to the Mediterranean, where it reaches as far east as Greece
.
. It cannot roll up into a perfect ball, but leaves its antennae
and telson
exposed. In the British Isles, it is only found in South West England
and South Wales
, but is also found in Belgium
, France
and Italy
.
and telson
exposed. As well as being introduced to North America, it is found natively from Italy and northern Spain to the Netherlands and Britain, where it is widely distributed across the southern half of the country.
Armadillidium pictum
Armadillidium pictum occurs over most of Europe, where it is chiefly a forest species. In the British Isles, it is only known from a few sites, all remote from human habitation, in Cumbria
and Powys
. It closely resembles A. pulchellum, but it is darker in colour, with less distinct mottling, which is arranged in lines along the length of the body. It is also, at up to 9 mm (0.354330708661417 in) long, slightly larger than A. pulchellum.
and Western Europe
. In Great Britain, it is found on coastal cliffs and in upland areas, being particularly associated with Thymus spp.
; in Ireland, its ecological tendencies are different, often being found in calcareous glacial sites, particularly esker
s.
Armadillidium vulgare
Armadillidium vulgare is the most common and thus the most well known of the pill bugs. It grows up to 14 mm (0.551181102362205 in) long, and is a uniform grey colour. Its abundance tails off to the north and west, and is not known to occur north of a line between the estuaries of the River Clyde
and the River Tay
in Scotland
, or north-west of a line between Galway
and Lough Foyle
in Ireland
. It is associated with sand dunes in the more north-westerly parts of its range, but is often replaced on Carboniferous limestone
by the related species Armadillidium pulchellum. Beyond Britain, it is found throughout Europe
and parts of Asia
, and has been introduced to North America
, Australia
, South Africa
and some islands in the Atlantic
and Pacific Ocean
s.
and a triangular telson
. It is abundant on cliffs on Ireland's east coast, although it is also found beside railway lines away from the sea, suggesting it was introduced with railway ballast. In 1975, the species was discovered for the first time in Great Britain, and was originally known from two sites: Overstrand
, Norfolk
and near Herne Bay
, Kent
, both sites being coastal cliffs of soft rock. It is now known to occur at numerous locations in south-east England (mainly Kent and Essex) including several non-coastal, man-made habitats. It is found outside the British Isles on Atlantic coasts south to north-western Africa, as well as the Canary Islands
, Azores
and Madeira
. It has been introduced to Tasmania
and to French Guiana
, from where the type specimen hails.
to Argentina
.
, Cornwall
, but is found as far south as Dakar
(Senegal
) and has also been introduced to North America
, South America
and Australia
.
dorsal surface. In the British Isles, it is only known from three sites: Slapton Ley
, Scolt Head Island
and Goldhanger
, Essex
. Outside Britain, the species is only known from the Canary Islands
and Mediterranean
coasts from Spain
to Malta
and Greece
.
Ligiidae
Ligia oceanica
Ligia oceanica, the sea slater, is the largest of the British woodlice, reaching a length of up to 30 mm (1.2 in). It is found on rocky shore
s throughout the British Isles. Its wider range extends from Norway
to Morocco
, and has since been introduced to North America
.
Ligidium hypnorum
In the British Isles, Ligidium hypnorum is restricted to the south and east of England
, being particularly frequent in Kent
and Surrey
, but with further populations in East Anglia
, western Gloucestershire
and North Somerset
. It grows up to 9 mm (0.354330708661417 in) and is dark and shiny in appearance. It is found mainly in deciduous woodland
, especially ancient woodland
, and in fen
s. Outside Britain, it is distributed across Central Europe
as far east as the Black Sea
.
Oniscus asellus
Oniscus asellus, the "common shiny woodlouse", is the most widespread species of woodlouse in the British Isles, both geographically and ecologically. It is not known from the Mediterranean Basin
, but is widespread in Northern
and Western Europe
, as far east as the Ukraine
, as well as in the Azores
and Madeira
; it has also been widely introduced in the Americas
. It is one of the largest native woodlice in Britain, at up to 16 mm (0.62992125984252 in) long. It is relatively flat, and is a shiny patchy grey in colour.
Philosciidae
Originally described under the name Chaetophiloscia meeusei from greenhouses at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
, Burmoniscus meeusei is now known to occur in the wild in Brazil
, Hawaii
and Taiwan
.
Philoscia muscorum
Philoscia muscorum, the "common striped woodlouse" or "fast woodlouse", is up to 11 mm (0.433070866141732 in) long, with a greyish-brown, mottled, shiny body, and long legs, which allow it to move quickly. It is more common in the south of the British Isles, but can be found up to the north coast of Scotland
.
Although the generic placement of this species is uncertain, it is known to occur in the wild in Mauritius
and Réunion
, and is now established in greenhouses in England.
Porcellionidae
Acaeroplastes melanurus is known from much of southern Europe, from Croatia
to Spain
and the Azores
, and including Algeria
. In the British Isles, it is only known from cliffs at Howth
, County Dublin
, where it was found several times between 1909 and 1934. It has not been found since, despite concerted searches, and is now believed to be extinct in the British Isles.
Agabiformius lentus is native to the Mediterranean region, but has been widely introduced outside that range.
in adults.
Porcellio laevis
Porcellio laevis is, when fully grown, the largest of the Porcellio species in the British Isles, at up to 18 mm (0.708661417322835 in) long. It may be in decline due to the reduced availability of its preferred habitat; it was formerly common around horse dung. It is more common in warmer climates, and is found across Europe and North Africa, as well as having been introduced to many other parts of the world.
Porcellio scaber
Porcellio scaber, the "common rough woodlouse", is one of the most frequent woodlice in the British Isles. It is also one of the best colonisers, having become established from Iceland
to South America
and South Africa
. Adults may reach 11 mm (0.433070866141732 in) long.
s and building
s, with a tendency to avoid areas with a strong Atlantic climatic influence. It is distinctively marked, with two rows of yellow marks along the body against a brown background with a darker median stripe and a blackish head. Its wider distribution covers much of Europe, but little of the Mediterranean region, eastwards to Ukraine
; it has also been introduced to Canada
and the United States
.
to the British Isles, and reaching its northernmost location at St. John's Point, (near Killough
) County Down
. It partly replaces Philoscia muscorum
where it occurs, and the two are easily confused in the field; Porcellionides cingendus, however, is narrower, and has a matt, not shiny, body.
Porcellionides pruinosus
Porcellionides pruinosus is quite different to P. cingendus and the two are unlikely to be confused in the field. P. pruinosus has a characteristic dusty bloom and very pale legs. Although there is some doubt as to its native status in Britain, P. pruinosus has been found in Roman remains in London, indicating that if it was introduced, it was not introduced recently. The species is predominantly Mediterranean in its distribution, but has taken on a cosmopolitan distribution
through the actions of man.
, particularly those of Lasius flavus
, Lasius niger
and species of Myrmica
. It 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. hoffmannseggi extends south to the Mediterranean. It is found outside Europe in North Africa
and Turkey
, and has been introduced to North America
.
Trichorhina tomentosa is the only species of woodlouse originating in the Americas
to have become established in the British Isles, where it survives in greenhouses.
The native range of Cordioniscus stebbingi is restricted to eastern Spain
. It has, however, been introduced to greenhouses worldwide.
Styloniscus spinosus is native to Mauritius
, Réunion
, Madagascar
and Hawaii
, but is found in some greenhouses in Great Britain.
Nagurus cristatus has a pantropical
distribution, and is found in greenhouses in temperate climates, including in the British Isles.
Nagurus nanus is found throughout the tropics
in anthropogenic habitats.
, although its markings, with a regular longitudinal pattern of a light colour on a grey-brown background, are distinctive. They can be distinguished by examining the number of pleopodal lungs on the animal's underside with a hand lens – species of Porcellio
have only two pairs, while T. rathkei has five pairs.
Androniscus dentiger
Androniscus dentiger is readily recognisable by its distinctive pink colour, with a widening yellow stripe towards the rear. Adults are up to 6 mm (0.236220472440945 in) long. It is found at cliff sites, in scree and in caves, as well as in anthropogenic habitats. It is found as far south as North Africa
and east to Croatia
, and has been introduced to North America
.
when rolled up. Within Britain, it is only known from Cardiff
, Barry and a site near Snettisham
, Norfolk
, although it has a wide distribution in Europe, possibly reaching as far east as Georgia
.
. It is a pale animal, up to 4 mm (0.15748031496063 in) long, with longitudinal ridges along its body. It is found throughout Europe, in Turkey
, North America
, Japan
and several islands in the Atlantic Ocean
.
-rich sites. Outside Britain, the species is though to occur as far east as Austria
and Poland
.
Metatrichoniscoides celticus
Endemic to the British Isles
Metatrichoniscoides celticus is the smallest of the British woodlice, at only 3 mm (0.118110236220472 in) long. It is white in appearance and is only known to occur along a 48 km (30 mi) stretch of the Glamorgan
coast. It was discovered perhaps as late as 1979, and is listed as vulnerable
in the IUCN Red List
because of its small population size.
Miktoniscus linearis is not believed to be a native British species, although so far it is only known from greenhouses in England and Germany
.
just above the strand line of salt marsh
es and sea cliffs. It is small, at 4 mm (0.15748031496063 in) in length, and white. It has been found quite widely along the south coasts of England
and Ireland
, and also at a site in Kincardineshire
. Elsewhere in Europe, it is known from the English Channel
coasts of Brittany
and from the Channel Islands
.
or maroon
colour, and can thus be told apart from the paler Trichoniscus pusillus
. It is also, at 8 mm (0.31496062992126 in) long, slightly larger. It has a wide head and a tapering body, producing a shape reminiscent of a trilobite
. It is not known from Great Britain
, but is widespread in Ireland
, and is found further afield in the Pyrenees
, leading to speculation that the species may be part of the "Lusitanian fauna".
, but its exoskeleton is dull, unlike the shiny surface in Trichoniscus pusillus. It is found in areas with an Atlantic climate from France
to southern Sweden
.
, but a white pereon, and with red or pink ocelli
. It is widely distributed around British and Irish coasts, and is also known from Brittany
, Denmark
and Sweden
.
, and has also been introduced to Newfoundland.
Trichoniscus pusillus
Trichoniscus pusillus, the "common pygmy woodlouse", is widespread in Europe north of the Alps
, and has been introduced to Madeira
, the Azores
and North America
. In the south of its range, T. pusillus reproduces sexually
, but towards the north of its range, parthenogenesis
predominates. It is the most abundant woodlouse species in Britain, and extremely widespread, occurring as far north as the northermost tip of Shetland. It is shiny in appearance and reddish-brown in colour, with white patches visible on close inspection, where muscles attach to the exoskeleton. It reaches a maximum size of 5 mm (0.196850393700787 in) long.
. It is found from Morocco
, across Europe, to south-western Russia
(Krasnodar Krai
).
Woodlouse
A woodlouse is a crustacean with a rigid, segmented, long exoskeleton and fourteen jointed limbs...
are the most species-rich group of terrestrial crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s. Of the 3,637 species found worldwide, some 35 species in 10 families
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
are native to the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. One of these species is believed to be extinct in the British Isles, and a further ten species have become naturalised
Naturalisation (biology)
In biology, naturalisation is any process by which a non-native organism spreads into the wild and its reproduction is sufficient to maintain its population. Such populations are said to be naturalised....
in greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
s, presumably transported with exotic plants. Five species are especially common throughout the British Isles, and are known as the "famous five species". They are Oniscus asellus
Oniscus asellus
Oniscus asellus, the common woodlouse, is one of the largest and most common species of woodlouse in the British Isles and Western and Northern Europe, growing to lengths of 16 mm and widths of 6 mm.-Distribution:...
(the common shiny woodlouse), Porcellio scaber
Porcellio scaber
Porcellio scaber , is a species of European woodlouse.-Distribution:...
(the common rough woodlouse), Philoscia muscorum
Philoscia muscorum
Philoscia muscorum, the common striped woodlouse or fast woodlouse, is a common European woodlouse. It is found from the British Isles and southern Scandinavia east to Ukraine and south to Greece. It has also spread to Washington and many states in New England, as well as Nova Scotia.-Description:P...
(the common striped woodlouse), Trichoniscus pusillus
Trichoniscus pusillus
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...
(the common pygmy woodlouse) and Armadillidium vulgare
Armadillidium vulgare
Armadillidium vulgare, the pill-bug or pill woodlouse, is a widespread European species of woodlouse. It is the most extensively investigated terrestrial isopod species.-Description:...
(the common pill bug). One species, Metatrichoniscoides celticus
Metatrichoniscoides celticus
Metatrichoniscoides celticus is a species of woodlouse in the family Trichoniscidae. It is found only on maritime cliffs in Glamorgan from Ogmore-by-Sea to St. Donat's, and is considered vulnerable due to the small population size....
, is endemic to Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
, and is listed as a vulnerable species
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
in the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
.
Reductoniscus costulatusReductoniscus costulatusReductoniscus costulatus is a species of woodlouse. In the wild, R. costulatus has been found in Mauritius, the Seychelles and Hawaii, including the islands of Oahu and Kauai and Hawaii. It was discovered in the Palm House at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 1948, 1976 and 1988, and has been found...
Kesselyák, 1930
Not native to the British IslesReductoniscus costulatus occurs naturally in the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
, on Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, in Malaysia and in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
, but has been introduced to several parts of Europe, where it survives in greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
s.
ArmadillidiidaeArmadillidiidaeArmadillidiidae is a family of woodlice, a terrestrial crustacean group in the order Isopoda. Unlike members of other woodlouse families, members of this family can roll into a ball, an ability they share with the outwardly similar but unrelated pill millipedes and other animals...
Armadillidiidae
Armadillidiidae is a family of woodlice, a terrestrial crustacean group in the order Isopoda. Unlike members of other woodlouse families, members of this family can roll into a ball, an ability they share with the outwardly similar but unrelated pill millipedes and other animals...
are often confused with pill millipede
Pill millipede
Pill millipedes make up two orders of millipedes, often grouped together into a single superorder, Oniscomorpha. The name Oniscomorpha refers to the resemblance of pill millipedes to certain woodlice, namely the pillbugs of the family Armadillidiidae, also called "potato bugs", "doodlebugs", or...
s such as Glomeris marginata
Glomeris marginata
Glomeris marginata is a common European species of pill millipede. It is a short millipede, rounded in cross-section, which is capable of rolling itself up into a ball when disturbed. This behaviour is also found in the pill woodlouse Armadillidium, with which G...
, which is also widespread and common in Britain and Ireland, but pill millipedes have two pairs of legs per body segment, while woodlice have only seven pairs of legs. Six certainly native species occur in the British Isles; some doubt exists as to the status of Eluma caelatum.
Armadillidium album Dollfus, 1887
Armadillidium album is a pale-coloured species, and does not roll itself into a ball when disturbed. Rather, it remains stationary, but with its body slightly arched. It is only found at coastal sites, chiefly in sand dunes, having been first discovered in Britain at the TawRiver Taw
The River Taw rises at Taw Head, a spring on the central northern flanks of Dartmoor. It reaches the Bristol Channel away on the north coast of Devon at a joint estuary mouth which it shares with the River Torridge.-Watercourse:...
and Torridge
River Torridge
The River Torridge is a river in Devon in England. It was the home of Tarka the Otter in Henry Williamson's book. The Torridge local government district is named after the river....
estuaries in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in 1906. It is found from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
along the Atlantic coast of Europe to the Mediterranean, where it reaches as far east as Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Armadillidium depressum Brandt, 1833
Armadillidium depressum is a large pill bug, up to 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) long. Females are somewhat variable in colour, but males are uniformly slate greySlate gray
Slate is a gray color with a slight azure tinge that is a representation of the average color of the material slate.The first recorded use of slate gray as a color name in English was in 1705...
. It cannot roll up into a perfect ball, but leaves its antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
and telson
Telson
The telson is the last division of the body of a crustacean. It is not considered a true segment because it does not arise in the embryo from teloblast areas as do real segments. It never carries any appendages, but a forked "tail" called the caudal furca is often present. Together with the...
exposed. In the British Isles, it is only found in South West England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
and South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, but is also found in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Armadillidium nasatum Budde-Lund, 1885
Like the previous species, Armadillidium nasatum cannot roll up into a perfect ball; it too leaves its antennaeAntenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
and telson
Telson
The telson is the last division of the body of a crustacean. It is not considered a true segment because it does not arise in the embryo from teloblast areas as do real segments. It never carries any appendages, but a forked "tail" called the caudal furca is often present. Together with the...
exposed. As well as being introduced to North America, it is found natively from Italy and northern Spain to the Netherlands and Britain, where it is widely distributed across the southern half of the country.
Armadillidium pictumArmadillidium pictumArmadillidium pictum is a species of woodlouse which occurs over most of Europe, except the Mediterranean Basin and Southeast Europe. In the British Isles, it is only known from a few sites, making it by some accounts, "Britain's rarest woodlouse"...
Brandt, 1833
Armadillidium pictum occurs over most of Europe, where it is chiefly a forest species. In the British Isles, it is only known from a few sites, all remote from human habitation, in CumbriaCumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
and Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
. It closely resembles A. pulchellum, but it is darker in colour, with less distinct mottling, which is arranged in lines along the length of the body. It is also, at up to 9 mm (0.354330708661417 in) long, slightly larger than A. pulchellum.
Armadillidium pulchellum (Zenker, 1798)
Armadillidium pulchellum may reach 6 mm (0.236220472440945 in) in length, and is covered with mosaic patterns of black, white, orange and red. The British Isles hold the greatest concentration of sites for this species, which also extends across NorthernNorthern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
and Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
. In Great Britain, it is found on coastal cliffs and in upland areas, being particularly associated with Thymus spp.
Thymus (genus)
The genus Thymus contains about 350species of aromatic perennial herbaceous plants and subshrubs to 40 cm tall in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions in Europe, North Africa and Asia....
; in Ireland, its ecological tendencies are different, often being found in calcareous glacial sites, particularly esker
Esker
An esker is a long winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America...
s.
Armadillidium vulgareArmadillidium vulgareArmadillidium vulgare, the pill-bug or pill woodlouse, is a widespread European species of woodlouse. It is the most extensively investigated terrestrial isopod species.-Description:...
(Latreille, 1804)
Armadillidium vulgare is the most common and thus the most well known of the pill bugs. It grows up to 14 mm (0.551181102362205 in) long, and is a uniform grey colour. Its abundance tails off to the north and west, and is not known to occur north of a line between the estuaries of the River ClydeRiver Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
and the River Tay
River Tay
The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui , then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochhart, Loch Lubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay , in...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, or north-west of a line between Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
and Lough Foyle
Lough Foyle
Lough Foyle, sometimes Loch Foyle , is the estuary of the River Foyle in Ulster. It starts where the Foyle leaves Derry. It separates the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland from County Londonderry in Northern Ireland.-Transport:...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It is associated with sand dunes in the more north-westerly parts of its range, but is often replaced on Carboniferous limestone
Carboniferous limestone
Carboniferous Limestone is a term used to describe a variety of different types of limestone occurring widely across Great Britain and Ireland which were deposited during the Dinantian epoch of the Carboniferous period. They were formed between 363 and 325 million years ago...
by the related species Armadillidium pulchellum. Beyond Britain, it is found throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and parts of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and has been introduced to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and some islands in the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
s.
Eluma caelatum (Miers, 1877)
Eluma caelatum (previously Eluma purpurascens) is typically 10 mm (0.393700787401575 in), but exceptionally up to 15 mm (0.590551181102362 in) long. The body is purplish brown, with a pair of single large, black ocelliOcellus
A simple eye refers to a type of eye design or optical arrangement that contains a single lens which detect light. A "simple eye" is so-called in distinction from a multi-lensed "compound eye", and is not necessarily at all simple in the usual sense of the word...
and a triangular telson
Telson
The telson is the last division of the body of a crustacean. It is not considered a true segment because it does not arise in the embryo from teloblast areas as do real segments. It never carries any appendages, but a forked "tail" called the caudal furca is often present. Together with the...
. It is abundant on cliffs on Ireland's east coast, although it is also found beside railway lines away from the sea, suggesting it was introduced with railway ballast. In 1975, the species was discovered for the first time in Great Britain, and was originally known from two sites: Overstrand
Overstrand
Overstrand is a village on the north coast of Norfolk in England, two miles east of Cromer. It was once a modest fishing station, with all or part of the fishing station being known as Beck Hythe...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
and near Herne Bay
Herne Bay, Kent
Herne Bay is a seaside town in Kent, South East England, with a population of 35,188. On the south coast of the Thames Estuary, it is north of Canterbury and east of Whitstable. It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne and Reculver and is part of the City of Canterbury local government district...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, both sites being coastal cliffs of soft rock. It is now known to occur at numerous locations in south-east England (mainly Kent and Essex) including several non-coastal, man-made habitats. It is found outside the British Isles on Atlantic coasts south to north-western Africa, as well as the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
and Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
. It has been introduced to Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and to French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
, from where the type specimen hails.
Cylisticus convexus (De Geer, 1778)
Cylisticus convexus, the "curly woodlouse", has a scattered distribution across the British Isles. It seems to occur either in coastal sites, or synanthropically in anthropogenic habitats. It has been introduced to sites across the New World, from CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Halophilosciidae
Haplophilosciidae is a family of woodlice lacking pleopodal lungs. Its members are therefore restricted to coastal habitats.Halophiloscia couchii (Kinahan, 1858)
Haplophiloscia couchii is a coastal species which is almost never seen in daylight. It was originally described from Talland BayTalland Bay
Talland Bay is west of the town of Looe in Cornwall. On Talland Bay are two sheltered shingle beaches, Talland Sand and Rotterdam Beach, and the bay was well known in previous centuries as a landing spot for smugglers. It has also been the scene of many shipwrecks including that of a French...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, but is found as far south as Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
(Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
) and has also been introduced to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Stenophiloscia glarearum Verhoeff, 1908
Stenophiloscia glarearum (formerly S. zosterae) is less than 6 mm (0.236220472440945 in) long and white, with a distinctly spinySpine (zoology)
A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...
dorsal surface. In the British Isles, it is only known from three sites: Slapton Ley
Slapton Ley
Slapton Ley is a lagoon on the south coast of Devon, England, separated from Start Bay by a shingle beach, known as Slapton Sands.It is the largest natural freshwater lake in South West England....
, Scolt Head Island
Scolt Head Island
Scolt Head Island is an offshore barrier island near Brancaster, north Norfolk, England, located 10 km west of Wells-next-the-Sea. It is a National Nature Reserve...
and Goldhanger
Goldhanger
Goldhanger is a village and a civil parish on the B1026 road in the Maldon district, in the English county of Essex.Goldhanger has an agricultural museum and a church dedicated to St. Peter. Goldhanger is at the head of a short creek, on the north side of the estuary of the River Blackwater, East...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. Outside Britain, the species is only known from the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
and Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
coasts from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
LigiidaeLigiidaeLigiidae is a family of woodlice, the only family in the infraorder Diplocheta. Its members are common on rocky shores, in similar habitats to those inhabited by species of the bristletail Petrobius and the crab Cyclograpsus...
Ligia oceanicaLigia oceanicaLigia oceanica, the sea slater, common sea slater or sea roach, is a littoral woodlouse.L. oceanica is oval, twice as long as broad and may reach up to in length, making it the largest oniscid isopod. Its colour may vary from grey to olive-green, and it has large compound eyes and long antennae, ⅔...
(Linnaeus, 1767)
Ligia oceanica, the sea slater, is the largest of the British woodlice, reaching a length of up to 30 mm (1.2 in). It is found on rocky shoreRocky shore
A rocky shore is an intertidal area of seacoasts where solid rock predominates. Rocky shores are biologically rich environments, and make the ideal natural laboratory for studying intertidal ecology and other biological processes...
s throughout the British Isles. Its wider range extends from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, and has since been introduced to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Ligidium hypnorumLigidium hypnorumLigidium hypnorum is a species of woodlouse found across Europe and western Asia. It is a fast-moving, active species which rarely grows longer than . It is dark and shiny, and is similar in appearance to the common species Philoscia muscorum, and also the rarer Oritoniscus flavus...
(Cuvier, 1792)
In the British Isles, Ligidium hypnorum is restricted to the south and east of EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, being particularly frequent in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, but with further populations in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
, western Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
and North Somerset
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
. It grows up to 9 mm (0.354330708661417 in) and is dark and shiny in appearance. It is found mainly in deciduous woodland
Temperate deciduous forest
A temperate deciduous forest, more precisely termed temperate broadleaf forest or temperate broadleaved forest, is a biome found in North America, southern South America, Europe, and Asia. A temperate deciduous forest consists of trees that lose their leaves every year...
, especially ancient woodland
Ancient woodland
Ancient woodland is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England and Wales . Before those dates, planting of new woodland was uncommon, so a wood present in 1600 was likely to have developed naturally...
, and in fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s. Outside Britain, it is distributed across Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
as far east as the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
.
Oniscus asellusOniscus asellusOniscus asellus, the common woodlouse, is one of the largest and most common species of woodlouse in the British Isles and Western and Northern Europe, growing to lengths of 16 mm and widths of 6 mm.-Distribution:...
Linnaeus, 1758
Oniscus asellus, the "common shiny woodlouse", is the most widespread species of woodlouse in the British Isles, both geographically and ecologically. It is not known from the Mediterranean BasinMediterranean Basin
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, which supports characteristic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub vegetation...
, but is widespread in Northern
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
and Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, as far east as the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, as well as in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
and Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
; it has also been widely introduced in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. It is one of the largest native woodlice in Britain, at up to 16 mm (0.62992125984252 in) long. It is relatively flat, and is a shiny patchy grey in colour.
PhilosciidaePhilosciidaePhilosciidae are a family of woodlice . They occur almost everywhere on earth, with most species found in tropical America, Africa and Oceania, and only a few in the Holarctic.-Genera:...
Burmoniscus meeusei (Holthuis, 1947)
Not native to the British IslesOriginally described under the name Chaetophiloscia meeusei from greenhouses at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
, Burmoniscus meeusei is now known to occur in the wild in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Philoscia muscorumPhiloscia muscorumPhiloscia muscorum, the common striped woodlouse or fast woodlouse, is a common European woodlouse. It is found from the British Isles and southern Scandinavia east to Ukraine and south to Greece. It has also spread to Washington and many states in New England, as well as Nova Scotia.-Description:P...
(Scopoli, 1763)
Philoscia muscorum, the "common striped woodlouse" or "fast woodlouse", is up to 11 mm (0.433070866141732 in) long, with a greyish-brown, mottled, shiny body, and long legs, which allow it to move quickly. It is more common in the south of the British Isles, but can be found up to the north coast of ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Setaphora patiencei (Bagnall, 1908)
Not native to the British IslesAlthough the generic placement of this species is uncertain, it is known to occur in the wild in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
and Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
, and is now established in greenhouses in England.
PorcellionidaePorcellionidaePorcellionidae is a terrestrial family of the order Isopoda. The species classified here cannot roll into a ball, as opposed to the species of family Armadillidiidae, which can.This family contains 530 species, found on every continent except Antarctica....
Acaeroplastes melanurus (Budde-Lund, 1885)
Extinct in the British IslesAcaeroplastes melanurus is known from much of southern Europe, from Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, and including Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. In the British Isles, it is only known from cliffs at Howth
Howth
Howth is an area in Fingal County near Dublin city in Ireland. Originally just a small fishing village, Howth with its surrounding rural district is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside, all on the peninsula of Howth Head. The only...
, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
, where it was found several times between 1909 and 1934. It has not been found since, despite concerted searches, and is now believed to be extinct in the British Isles.
Agabiformius lentus (Budde-Lund, 1885)
Not native to the British IslesAgabiformius lentus is native to the Mediterranean region, but has been widely introduced outside that range.
Porcellio dilatatus Brandt, 1833
Porcellio dilatatus is a widespread species, although only abundant at a few restricted sites. It is large and wide, with a rounded tip to the telsonTelson
The telson is the last division of the body of a crustacean. It is not considered a true segment because it does not arise in the embryo from teloblast areas as do real segments. It never carries any appendages, but a forked "tail" called the caudal furca is often present. Together with the...
in adults.
Porcellio laevisPorcellio laevisPorcellio laevis is a species of woodlouse in the genus Porcellio. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, and has been introduced to Australia, including Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island....
Latreille, 1804
Porcellio laevis is, when fully grown, the largest of the Porcellio species in the British Isles, at up to 18 mm (0.708661417322835 in) long. It may be in decline due to the reduced availability of its preferred habitat; it was formerly common around horse dung. It is more common in warmer climates, and is found across Europe and North Africa, as well as having been introduced to many other parts of the world.Porcellio scaberPorcellio scaberPorcellio scaber , is a species of European woodlouse.-Distribution:...
Latreille, 1804
Porcellio scaber, the "common rough woodlouse", is one of the most frequent woodlice in the British Isles. It is also one of the best colonisers, having become established from IcelandIceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Adults may reach 11 mm (0.433070866141732 in) long.
Porcellio spinicornis Say, 1818
Porcellio spinicornis is confined to stone wallStone wall
Stone walls are a kind of masonry construction which have been made for thousands of years. First they were constructed by farmers and primitive people by piling loose field stones in what is called a dry stone wall, then later with the use of mortar and plaster especially in the construction of...
s and building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
s, with a tendency to avoid areas with a strong Atlantic climatic influence. It is distinctively marked, with two rows of yellow marks along the body against a brown background with a darker median stripe and a blackish head. Its wider distribution covers much of Europe, but little of the Mediterranean region, eastwards to Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
; it has also been introduced to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Porcellionides cingendus (Kinahan, 1857)
Porcellionides congendus has an Atlantic, or Lusitanian distribution, stretching from PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
to the British Isles, and reaching its northernmost location at St. John's Point, (near Killough
Killough
Killough is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the Irish Sea shore near Ardglass, five miles southeast of Downpatrick. It is notable for its sycamore-lined main street. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 845 people....
) County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
. It partly replaces Philoscia muscorum
Philoscia muscorum
Philoscia muscorum, the common striped woodlouse or fast woodlouse, is a common European woodlouse. It is found from the British Isles and southern Scandinavia east to Ukraine and south to Greece. It has also spread to Washington and many states in New England, as well as Nova Scotia.-Description:P...
where it occurs, and the two are easily confused in the field; Porcellionides cingendus, however, is narrower, and has a matt, not shiny, body.
Porcellionides pruinosusPorcellionides pruinosusPorcellionides pruinosus is a cosmopolitan woodlouse that is suspected to consist of very closely related species. Ten subspecies are recognised. The species carries Wolbachia endosymbionts, which is an alpha-proteobacterium that is known to modify the reproduction of their crustacean hosts by...
(Brandt, 1833)
Porcellionides pruinosus is quite different to P. cingendus and the two are unlikely to be confused in the field. P. pruinosus has a characteristic dusty bloom and very pale legs. Although there is some doubt as to its native status in Britain, P. pruinosus has been found in Roman remains in London, indicating that if it was introduced, it was not introduced recently. The species is predominantly Mediterranean in its distribution, but has taken on a cosmopolitan distributionCosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, a taxon is said to have a cosmopolitan distribution if its range extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. For instance, the killer whale has a cosmopolitan distribution, extending over most of the world's oceans. Other examples include humans, the lichen...
through the actions of man.
Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii Brandt, 1833
Platyarthrus hoffmannseggi is closely associated with ants' nestsAnt colony
An ant colony is an underground lair where ants live, eat and mate. Colonies consist of a series of underground chambers, connected to each other and the surface of the earth by small tunnels. There are rooms for nurseries, food storage, and mating...
, particularly those of Lasius flavus
Yellow meadow ant
The Yellow Meadow Ant, Lasius flavus, is one of the most common ants in Central Europe, although it also occurs in Asia, North Africa and eastern North America.The queen is 7–9 mm long, males 3–4 mm and workers 2–4 mm...
, Lasius niger
Black garden ant
The black garden ant is a formicine ant, the type species of the subgenus Lasius, found all over Europe and in some parts of North America and Asia. It is monogynous, meaning colonies have a single queen....
and species of Myrmica
Myrmica
Myrmica is a genus of ants within the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is widespread throughout the temperate regions of the Holarctic and high mountains in Southeast Asia. The genus consists of around 200 known species, and additional subspecies, although this figure is likely only to rise as soon as...
. It 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. hoffmannseggi extends south to the Mediterranean. It is found outside Europe in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and has been introduced to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Trichorhina tomentosa (Budde-Lund, 1893)
Not native to the British IslesTrichorhina tomentosa is the only species of woodlouse originating in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
to have become established in the British Isles, where it survives in greenhouses.
Cordioniscus stebbingi (Patience, 1907)
Not native to the British IslesThe native range of Cordioniscus stebbingi is restricted to eastern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It has, however, been introduced to greenhouses worldwide.
Styloniscus spinosus (Patience, 1907)
Not native to the British IslesStyloniscus spinosus is native to Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, but is found in some greenhouses in Great Britain.
Nagurus cristatus (Dollfus, 1881)
Not native to the British IslesNagurus cristatus has a pantropical
Pantropical
In biogeography, a pantropical distribution one which covers tropical regions of all of the major continents, i.e. in Africa, in Asia and in the Americas. Examples include the plant genera Acacia and Bacopa....
distribution, and is found in greenhouses in temperate climates, including in the British Isles.
Nagurus nanus Budde-Lund, 1908
Not native to the British IslesNagurus nanus is found throughout the tropics
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
in anthropogenic habitats.
Trachelipus rathkii (Brandt, 1833)
Trachelipus rathkei is sometimes confused with the more frequent Porcellio scaberPorcellio scaber
Porcellio scaber , is a species of European woodlouse.-Distribution:...
, although its markings, with a regular longitudinal pattern of a light colour on a grey-brown background, are distinctive. They can be distinguished by examining the number of pleopodal lungs on the animal's underside with a hand lens – species of Porcellio
Porcellio
Porcellio is a genus of woodlice in the family Porcellionidae. These crustaceans are found essentially world-wide. A well-known species is the common rough woodlouse, Porcellio scaber....
have only two pairs, while T. rathkei has five pairs.
Androniscus dentigerAndroniscus dentigerAndroniscus dentiger, the rosy woodlouse or pink woodlouse is a species of woodlouse found from Great Britain to North Africa.-Description:A...
Verhoeff, 1908
Androniscus dentiger is readily recognisable by its distinctive pink colour, with a widening yellow stripe towards the rear. Adults are up to 6 mm (0.236220472440945 in) long. It is found at cliff sites, in scree and in caves, as well as in anthropogenic habitats. It is found as far south as North AfricaNorth Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and east to Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, and has been introduced to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Buddelundiella cataractae Verhoeff, 1930
Buddelundiella cataractae is an inconspicuous woodlouse, up to 4 mm (0.15748031496063 in) long and similar in appearance to a grain of sandSand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
when rolled up. Within Britain, it is only known from Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Barry and a site near Snettisham
Snettisham
Snettisham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located near the west coast of Norfolk, some south of the seaside resort of Hunstanton, north of the town of King's Lynn and north-west of the city of Norwich....
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, although it has a wide distribution in Europe, possibly reaching as far east as Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
.
Haplophthalmus danicus Budde-Lund, 1880
Haplophthalmus danicus is reasonably widely distributed in the British Isles, but is rare outside South East EnglandSouth East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
. It is a pale animal, up to 4 mm (0.15748031496063 in) long, with longitudinal ridges along its body. It is found throughout Europe, in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and several islands in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
Haplophthalmus mengii (Zaddach, 1844)
Haplophthalmus mengei has a narrower body than H. danicus, but is a similar size and colour. It is found mostly in coastal or limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
-rich sites. Outside Britain, the species is though to occur as far east as Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Metatrichoniscoides celticusMetatrichoniscoides celticusMetatrichoniscoides celticus is a species of woodlouse in the family Trichoniscidae. It is found only on maritime cliffs in Glamorgan from Ogmore-by-Sea to St. Donat's, and is considered vulnerable due to the small population size....
Oliver & Trew, 1981
Endemic to the British IslesMetatrichoniscoides celticus is the smallest of the British woodlice, at only 3 mm (0.118110236220472 in) long. It is white in appearance and is only known to occur along a 48 km (30 mi) stretch of the Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
coast. It was discovered perhaps as late as 1979, and is listed as vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
in the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
because of its small population size.
Miktoniscus linearis (Patience, 1908)
Not native to the British IslesMiktoniscus linearis is not believed to be a native British species, although so far it is only known from greenhouses in England and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Miktoniscus patiencei Vandel, 1946
Miktoniscus patiencei is found in soils and shinglesShingle beach
A shingle beach is a beach which is armoured with pebbles or small- to medium-sized cobbles. Typically, the stone composition may grade from characteristic sizes ranging from two to 200 mm diameter....
just above the strand line of salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
es and sea cliffs. It is small, at 4 mm (0.15748031496063 in) in length, and white. It has been found quite widely along the south coasts of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and also at a site in Kincardineshire
Kincardineshire
The County of Kincardine, also known as Kincardineshire or The Mearns was a local government county on the coast of northeast Scotland...
. Elsewhere in Europe, it is known from the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
coasts of Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
and from the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
.
Oritoniscus flavus (Budde-Lund, 1906)
Oritoniscus flavus is, despite the implication in its name, a dark purplePurple
Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....
or maroon
Maroon (color)
Maroon is a dark red color.-Etymology:Maroon is derived from French marron .The first recorded use of maroon as a color name in English was in 1789.-Maroon :...
colour, and can thus be told apart from the paler Trichoniscus pusillus
Trichoniscus pusillus
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...
. It is also, at 8 mm (0.31496062992126 in) long, slightly larger. It has a wide head and a tapering body, producing a shape reminiscent of a trilobite
Trilobite
Trilobites are a well-known fossil group of extinct marine arthropods that form the class Trilobita. The first appearance of trilobites in the fossil record defines the base of the Atdabanian stage of the Early Cambrian period , and they flourished throughout the lower Paleozoic era before...
. It is not known from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, but is widespread in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and is found further afield in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, leading to speculation that the species may be part of the "Lusitanian fauna".
Trichoniscoides albidus (Budde-Lund, 1880)
As with the previous species, Trichoniscoides albidus has a misleading specific epithet, since in life it is reddish-purple. It is similar to Trichoniscus pusillusTrichoniscus pusillus
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...
, but its exoskeleton is dull, unlike the shiny surface in Trichoniscus pusillus. It is found in areas with an Atlantic climate from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to southern Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Trichoniscoides saeroeensis Lohmander, 1923
Trichoniscoides saeroeensis is distinctively coloured, with a pink pleonPleon
Pleon is a Europe based Public Relations and communications consultancy. It is part of the Brodeur Pleon Worldwide network and a subsidiary of BBDO Worldwide. Pleon belongs to the Omnicom Group. Pleon is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany.- Overview :...
, but a white pereon, and with red or pink ocelli
Ocellus
A simple eye refers to a type of eye design or optical arrangement that contains a single lens which detect light. A "simple eye" is so-called in distinction from a multi-lensed "compound eye", and is not necessarily at all simple in the usual sense of the word...
. It is widely distributed around British and Irish coasts, and is also known from Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Trichoniscoides sarsi Patience, 1908
Trichoniscoides sarsi resembles the previous species, but has noticeable orange or pink patches on either side of its rear; unlike T. saeroeensis, however, T. sarsi is found inland. It seems to tolerate cold especially well, and has been recorded outside the British Isles from France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and has also been introduced to Newfoundland.
Trichoniscus pusillusTrichoniscus pusillusTrichoniscus 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...
Brandt, 1833
Trichoniscus pusillus, the "common pygmy woodlouse", is widespread in Europe north of the AlpsAlps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, and has been introduced to Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. In the south of its range, T. pusillus reproduces sexually
Sexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction is the creation of a new organism by combining the genetic material of two organisms. There are two main processes during sexual reproduction; they are: meiosis, involving the halving of the number of chromosomes; and fertilization, involving the fusion of two gametes and the...
, but towards the north of its range, parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction found in females, where growth and development of embryos occur without fertilization by a male...
predominates. It is the most abundant woodlouse species in Britain, and extremely widespread, occurring as far north as the northermost tip of Shetland. It is shiny in appearance and reddish-brown in colour, with white patches visible on close inspection, where muscles attach to the exoskeleton. It reaches a maximum size of 5 mm (0.196850393700787 in) long.
Trichoniscus pygmaeus Sars, 1899
Trichoniscus pygmaeus is perhaps the most under-recorded British woodlouse species, since it lives deeply buried in the soil, and adults resemble immature individuals of the very abundant Trichoniscus pusillusTrichoniscus pusillus
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...
. It is found from Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, across Europe, to south-western Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai
-External links:* **...
).