Family PORCELLIONIDAE Brandt, 1831

Porcellio scaber

© Copyright from Latreille 1804.

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Introduction

The Porcellionidae are found in litter and under objects on and above the ground. In Australia, they live in gardens and elsewhere near human habitation, but they also extend into areas of native vegetation. The family is Palaearctic, but it has been introduced to Australia and elsewhere.

Diagnosis

Dorsal surface of body shallowly convex; animal does not conglobate. Pleonal epimera 3–5 large or of moderate size so that body outline is not, or only slightly, interrupted between pereon and pleon. Head with lateral lobes. Antenna 2 flagellum with 2 articles. Pleopodal lungs present in exopods of pleopods 1 and 2 in species introduced to Australia. Telson subtriangular with sides indented. Uropod with exopod projecting backwards well beyond telson.

General References

Brandt, J.F. 1831. Isopoda. pp. 70-84 in Brandt, J.F. & Ratzeburg, J.T.C. (eds). Medizinische Zoologische oder getreue Darstellung und Beschreibung der Thiere die in der Arzneimettellehre in Betracht kommen, in systematischer Folge herausgegeben. Berlin : Publisher unknown Vol. 2.

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