Family PHILOSCIIDAE Kinahan, 1857

Abebaioscia troglodytes

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Family PHILOSCIIDAE Kinahan, 1857

Introduction

In Australia, philosciids typically live in litter or under wood and stones in forest or woodland or near the sea coast. Three species have been found in the nests of ants. Some species, mainly in Laevophiloscia Wahrberg, occur in caves and Abebaioscia Vandel is troglobitic.

Five genera of Philosciidae are endemic to Australia: Abebaioscia, Ashtonia, Eurygastor, Huntonia and Metriogaster, all described by Vandel. Laevophiloscia and Plymophiloscia Wahrberg and Australophiloscia Green are mainly Australian, but the former occurs also on the Loyalty Islands and the latter in New Caledonia whereas Australophiloscia Green also inhabits Polynesia. The generic position of Chaetophiloscia grayi Vandel is uncertain. Most members of the genus are Palearctic and species from Africa and South America have been transferred to other genera. The family, in particular the genus Chaetophiloscia, has been treated by Schmalfuss & Ferrara (1978) and Schmalfuss (1990, 1991).

Diagnosis

Animals do not conglobate. Pleonal epimera 3–5 small so that body outline is interrupted between pereon and pleon. (In Eurygastor Vandel the break in outline is less than usual). Head with supra-antennal line present; frontal line present, incomplete or absent. Head without conspicuous lobes. Antenna 2 flagellum with 3 articles. Maxillipedal palp reduced, not much larger than endite, with only 3 articles. No dactylar organ on pereopods in Australian species. Male with penis not bifurcated distally. Typically without pleopodal lungs.