Philoscia muscorum
Species of woodlouse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Philoscia muscorum, the common striped woodlouse[2] or fast woodlouse,[3] is a common European woodlouse. It is widespread in Europe, the British Isles and is found from southern Scandinavia to Ukraine and Greece.[4] It has also spread to Washington and many states in New England, also the mid-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as Nova Scotia.[4]
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| Philoscia muscorum | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Isopoda |
| Suborder: | Oniscidea |
| Family: | Philosciidae |
| Genus: | Philoscia |
| Species: | P. muscorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Philoscia muscorum | |
Description
P. muscorum may reach 11 millimetres (0.43 in) in length, with a shiny body which is mottled and greyish-brown in colour.[3] The fast woodlouse is, as its name suggests, faster than other common species; its body is raised up off the ground rather more than the others and the head is always very dark in colour.
Classification
Twelve subspecies are recognised:[1]
- Philoscia muscorum albescens Collinge, 1918
- Philoscia muscorum aureomaculata Collinge, 1918
- Philoscia muscorum biellensis Verhoeff, 1936
- Philoscia muscorum dalmatia Verhoeff, 1901
- Philoscia muscorum frigidana Verhoeff, 1928
- Philoscia muscorum maculata Collinge, 1918
- Philoscia muscorum marinensis Verhoeff, 1933
- Philoscia muscorum muscorum (Scopoli, 1763)
- Philoscia muscorum rufa Legrand, 1943
- Philoscia muscorum standeni Collinge, 1917
- Philoscia muscorum triangulifera Verhoeff, 1918
- Philoscia muscorum virescens Collinge, 1917
Color variation
P. muscorum has variable coloration. While most commonly brown or grey, it may also be yellow, red, or orange.
