Pill-bug - Armadillidium vulgare Latreille, 1804 - Cyprus

  See also 

All about Cyprus - Όλα για την Κύπρο

Order: Isopoda

Family: Armadillidiidae

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.

Description

Armadillidium vulgare may reach a length of 18 millimetres (11⁄16 in), and is capable of rolling into a ball when disturbed; this ability, along with its general appearance, gives it the name pill-bug and also creates the potential for confusion with pill millipedes such as Glomeris marginata. It can be distinguished from Armadillidium nasatum and Armadillidium depressum by the gap that A. nasatum and A. depressum leave when rolling into a ball; A. vulgare does not leave such a gap.

Ecology

Armadillidium vulgare is able to withstand drier conditions than many other woodlouse species, and is restricted to calcareous soils or coastal areas. It feeds chiefly on decaying plant matter, but also grazes lichens and algae from tree bark and walls.

It is able to regulate its temperature through its behaviour, preferring bright sunshine when temperatures are low, but remaining in shadow when temperatures are high; temperatures below −2 °C (28 °F) or above 36 °C (97 °F) are lethal to it. A. vulgare is less susceptible to cold during the night, and may enter a state of dormancy during the winter in order to survive temperatures that would otherwise be lethal.

Distribution

The native distribution of A. vulgare ranges across Europe, especially in the Mediterranean Basin. In the United Kingdom, A. vulgare is very common in southern and eastern England, but is more confined to coastal areas in the north. Similarly, in Ireland, A. vulgare is common in the south and east, but rarer in the north and west.

A. vulgare has also been introduced to many locations in North America, where it may reach population densities of up to 10,000 individuals per square metre (900 individuals per square foot). It is now one of the most abundant invertebrate species in California coastal grassland habitats. It has also been introduced, to a lesser extent, to sites across the world.

Relationships with humans

Because of their unusual yet non-threatening appearance, some Armadillidium vulgare are kept as pets in areas throughout the world. Different lineages are bred, usually in regards to color, in order to provide stock to hobbyists. One supposed variation, "Punta Cana," is often referred to as Armadillidium sordidum, while others insist it is a variety of A. vulgare.[10] Keeping a pet pill bug requires a very moist habitat with limited light and abundant decaying botanical matter. They can often live up to three years. Among non-hobbyist adults, they are often seen as unwanted (but essentially harmless) home pests.

Mitochondrial genome

Most metazoans have circular mitochondrial genomes, but A.vulgare has an unusual combination of both circular and linear mitochondrial DNA. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillidium_vulgare

Photo 2005 by George Konstantinou

Italian Sea Slater - Ligia italica Fabricius, 1798 - Cyprus

 See also 

All about Cyprus - Όλα για την Κύπρο

Isopoda of Cyprus

Ligia italica is a sea Slater, a member of the Ligiidae family - Order: Isopoda

It has an oval body, flattened on the back and on the belly; it is about 12 millimeters long. The species can live in marine and terrestrial habitats and hence share characteristics of both environments but is more adapted to the terrestrial one where they move very swiftly and are camouflaged to the rock. It is hence commonly on the supralittoral zone of rocky coasts.

Distribution

Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic in northern Africa down to Cape Verde and Macaronesian Islands. 

It is characterized by diurnal activity; it moves on rocks and swims in the water, although it does not easily tolerate plunging. Breathing is branchial. Sexes are separated: eggs are incubated in a hollow formed from plates located on the thorax processes of the female. The larvae come out from the eggs which, after several molts, turn into adults. It feeds mainly on vegetable remains or on any other kind of organic material. From https://www.jungledragon.com/specie/32637/italian_sea_slater.html

Photo 3/8/2013 by George Konstantinou

Armadillo konstantinoui Campos-Filho, Dimitriou & Sfenthourakis sp. nov. - The new species is named after Giorgos Konstantinou who, with his wife Fani, has contributed significantly to our knowledge on Cyprus biodiversity, and gave us important guidance during field work.

 Αφιερώσεις στους George Konstantinou και Emmanouela Karameta που έχουν συνεισφέρει σημαντικά στη συλλογή ισοπόδων από την Κύπρο..

Accepted by T. Riehl: 28 Feb. 2023; published: 19 Apr. 2023

Abstract

The present work aims to morphologically characterize the species of Armadillo from Cyprus. Moreover, two new species of the genus are described, A. konstantinoui sp. nov. from several places along the island, and A. karametae sp. nov. from Pafos region. The circum-Mediterranean species A. officinalis is also redescribed.

Key words:

terrestrial isopods, cryptic species, endogean species, oceanic island, Mediterranean region

1. 
   

Proporcellio vulcanius (Verhoeff, 1908) - Cyprus

Order: Isopoda
Suborder: Oniscidea
Infraorder: Ligiamorpha
Family: Porcellionidae
Photos at Lakatamia, 17/1/2016 by Michael Hadjiconstantis

Swift woodlouse, Dairy cow isopod, or Smooth slater - Porcellio laevis (Latreille,1804) - Cyprus

 See also 

All about Cyprus - Όλα για την Κύπρο

Order: Isopoda

Family: Porcellionidae

Porcellio laevis (commonly called the swift woodlouse, dairy cow isopod, or smooth slater in Australia) 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.

This species of woodlouse is distinctively large, appearing up to 20 millimetres (0.79 in) long with a smooth dorsal surface. The males can be identified by their long, spear-shaped uropods. Porcellio laevis has a smooth dorsal surface, which separates its visually from many other species of the Porcellio genus.

It is commonly kept as a pet due to its somewhat easy care requirements and the variety of color morphs available. The species is easy to keep and can be easily established in a terrarium within a few weeks. "Dairy cow isopod" is a commonly used name for a readily available piebald strain of the species.

Distribution and habitat

P. laevis was first recorded in Britain in the 13th century but it likely originated in North Africa. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, and has been introduced to Australia, including Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. The species is also found in North and South America, Western Asia, Japan and some Pacific islands.

This species is found under rocks and fallen logs in damp areas, and is otherwise rarely encountered. Records from Ireland and Britain also place them in agricultural areas like gardens, farms, and stables where they can be found in dung and compost piles. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porcellio_laevis

Photos Geri 7/11/2014 by George Konstantinou

Armadillo officinalis (Duméril,1816) - Cyprus

Family Armadillidae

Photos Achna 8/12/2014 by George Konstantinou

Armadillo officinalis (family Armadillidae), which attains lengths of 19 millimetres (0.75 inch), is native to southern Europe.

Armadillidae is a family of woodlice (Oniscidea; terrestrial crustaceans), comprising around 80 genera and 700 species. It is the largest family of Oniscidea, and one of the most species-rich families of the entire Isopoda. Armadillids generally have a strongly convex body shape, with some rather shallowly convex. Like members of the woodlice family Armadillidiidae, armadillids are capable of enrolling into a sphere (conglobation), and are commonly known as pill bugs. Armadillids differ from the Armadillidiidae in that the antennae are fully enclosed within the sphere.

Species of Armadillidae occur in a variety of habitats including forests, savannas, and arid regions. Armadillids occur natively in the Afrotropics, Asia, Australia, the Neotropics, and the Mediterranean region of Europe. A few poorly-known species occur in North America north of Mexico, and some are introduced.

The family Armadillidae was erected by German naturalist Johann Friedrich von Brandt in 1831, although the earliest named genus now assigned to the family is Armadillo, described by French zoologist André Marie Constant Duméril in 1816. The German zoologist Karl Wilhelm Verhoeff described nearly one quarter of currently recognized genera. .From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillidae

 -