Family ARMADILLIDAE Brandt, 1831

Laureola silvaticai

Museums

Museum list

Regional Maps

Family ARMADILLIDAE Brandt, 1831

Introduction

Many Australian armadillids live in litter or under wood and stones in forest or woodland or near the sea coast. Two species of Acanthodillo Verhoeff have been found associated with ants and one with termites. Members of several genera occur in caves. Buddelundia Michaelsen is characteristic of the drier parts of Australia, but is not confined there. Seven armadillid genera are restricted to Australia (Barrowdillo, Buddelundia, Cubaroides, Cuckoldillo, Kimberleydillo, Orthodillo, Sphenodillo). Others occur elsewhere in the Indo-West Pacific, and Cubaris Brandt is more widespread. The morphology, biogeography and ecology of the family were reviewed by Taiti et al. (1998) who also designated type species for several genera which were hitherto nomina nuda.

The taxonomy of Armadillo Latreille, Cubaris Brandt and Spherillo Dana has been confused by different interpretations and nomenclatural problems. Some species listed here in these genera may yet be removed to other or new genera. Lehtinen et al. (1998) successfully appealed to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature to stabilise the use of Spherillo (ICZN 2000). Accordingly, the position of Australian species currently in this genus will need to be re-assessed.

Vandel (1973, 1977) divided the Armadillidae into nine subfamilies, all represented in Australia. Subfamilies of Armadillidae proposed by Verhoeff (1926, 1937) and by Vandel (1973) are not monophyletic (Taiti et al. 1998) and the subfamily arrangement is not followed in this Catalogue.

The family has been alternatively called Cubaridae Brandt, 1833, but the confusion existing previously has been removed by the placement of Armadillidae Brandt, 1831 on the Official List of Family-Group Names in Zoology (ICZN 1998).

Diagnosis

Typically with dorsal surface strongly convex; animal can conglobate. In Australiodillo, and a few other exceptions, dorsal surface shallowly convex and animal folds in half. Body outline not interrupted between pereon and pleon. Frontal line of head often forms a ridge which may be interrupted in middle. Antenna 2 flagellum with 2 articles. Typically epimeron 1 without sulcus arcuatus (groove in its outer surface, subparallel with lateral border); this groove present in some species of Buddelundia. Endolobes usually present on epimera 1 and 2, sometimes also on epimeron 3 or on more than 3 epimera; or without endolobes in Australiodillo. Typically pleopodal lungs present, usually in exopods of pleopods 1–5, but in pleopods 1–4 of Buddelundia. Pleopodal lungs absent in rare exceptions, e.g., Pseudolaureola. Pleopods usually overlap each other loosely, but in Buddelundia exopods of pleopods 2–4 are grooved and 1–4 interlock while pleopod 5 is covered by pleopod 4. Telson often hourglass-shaped. Uropod with protopod flattened and occupying space between pleonal epimeron 5 and telson; exopod attached on dorsal surface or near inner border of protopod, or absent.