Arcitalitrus sylvaticus
Species of crustacean
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arcitalitrus sylvaticus, known generally as the lawn shrimp, lawn prawn or landhopper, is a species of beach hopper in the family Talitridae. It was first described in 1879 by William Aitcheson Haswell as Talitrus sylvaticus.[1][2]
| Arcitalitrus sylvaticus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Amphipoda |
| Family: | Talitridae |
| Genus: | Arcitalitrus |
| Species: | A. sylvaticus |
| Binomial name | |
| Arcitalitrus sylvaticus (Haswell, 1879) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
It is found in Australia and nearby areas of the Pacific but has been introduced to other places, like California, New Zealand, North Carolina and Florida.[3][4][5] The first recorded instance in California was in 1967.[5]
They die in dry conditions and drown if it is too wet. In California, especially, they are a sign of overwatering, as they will leave their homes to avoid drowning.[5] Their main diet is decaying leaves and their density in the habitat is greater than other soil arthropods, therefore, they are significant primary decomposers of leaf litter in their habitat.[6]
