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]

Philoscia muscorum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Isopoda
Suborder: Oniscidea
Family: Philosciidae
Genus: Philoscia
Species:
P. muscorum
Binomial name
Philoscia muscorum

Description

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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

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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

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Philoscia muscorum (Scopoli, 1763)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
  2. ^ "Common striped woodlouse (Philoscia muscorum)". ARKive. Archived from the original on 2009-06-11. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  3. ^ a b "Fast woodlouse - Philoscia muscorum". Natural England. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  4. ^ a b "Philoscia muscorum muscorum" (PDF). National Museum of Natural History. Retrieved January 28, 2009.