Armadillidium klugii

Armadillidium klugii is a lesser-known, rare Balkan, Dalmatia-based species of woodlouse, most distinguished by its colouration which resembles the red markings of the Mediterranean black widow Latrodectus tredecimguttatus. This is probably a kind of mimicry, to ward off predators that mistake the harmless animal for a venomous spider.[2]

Armadillidium klugii
Armadillidium klugii in Porto Palermo, Himarë, Albania
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Order:
Isopoda
Suborder:
Oniscidea
Family:
Armadillidiidae
Genus:
Armadillidium
Species:
A. klugii
Binomial name
Armadillidium klugii
Brandt, 1833 [1]
Range[2]
Synonyms [3]

Armadillo astriger C. Koch, 1841
Armadillo guttatus C. Koch, 1841
Armadillo pustulatus C. Koch, 1841
Armadillidium albanicum Verhoeff, 1901
Armadillidium inflatum Verhoeff, 1907
Armadillidium cetinjense Strouhal, 1927

Due to its red, yellow or white spotting, it is often called the "clown isopod". Insect and isopod enthusiasts usually encounter them being sold as A. klugii Montenegro or variations thereof.[4]

Description

The maximum length of Armadillidium klugii is 21 millimetres, compared to Armadillidium vulgare's 18 millimetres.[2] Unlike the typical black color of the dorsal plates of most Armadillidium species, the base coloration of A. klugii is greyish brown, and has three rows of white dots running front to back. As they age, the center row turns yellow.[5] These pale spots are for mimicry of the Mediterranean black widow, which has similar rows.[6]

Distribution

The range of Armadillidium klugii lies along the coastline of the Adriatic sea, spanning from Croatia to Montenegro. The majority of A. klugii records are clustered in Dalmatia, in the northern end of its distribution, but 5 specimens have been reported in south Albania and west Greece.[2] It is found under stones and in crevices.

References
  1. "Armadillidium klugii Brandt, 1833". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  2. Schmalfuss, Helmut (2013). "Revision of the Armadillidium klugii-group (Isopoda: Oniscidea)" (PDF). Stuttgarter Beitr. Naturk. A, Neue Serie. 6: 1–12.
  3. Helmut Schmalfuss (2003). "World catalog of terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea) — revised and updated version" (PDF). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Serie A. 654: 341 pp.
  4. LLC, New England Herpetoculture. "New England Herpetoculture LLC". www.neherpetoculture.com. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  5. "Isopod Care & Info".
  6. Levi, Herbert (1965). "AN UNUSUAL CASE OF MIMICRY". Evolution. 19 (2): 261–262. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1965.tb01714.x.



This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.