Trachelipus nodulosus

Source of the photo
http://xespok.net/arthropoda/main.php/v/Malacostraca/Isopoda/Trachelipodidae/Trachelipus/
Author of the description
Kiss Magdolna


Taxonavigation:

Regnum: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Classis: Malacostraca
Subclassis: Eumalacostraca
Superordo: Peracarida
Ordo: Isopoda
Cladus: Scutocoxifera
Subordo: Oniscidea
Infraordo: Ligiamorpha
Family: Trachelipodidae
Genus: Trachelipus
Species: Trachelipus nodulosus 

Habitat:

In Hungary it’s living in swards tipically, but also urban and agriculture areas (decaying boards, under old windrows). Trachelipus nodulosus show significant negative association with woodlands and also with wet habitats. It occurence in the whole continent. 


Morphology:

It looks like T. rathkii, but the pore field’s shapes and distances are different. 

 

Nutrition:

It feed dead vegetable matters (dead fallen leaves, fungus). 

 

Function in ecology:

This genus –like the others- is a member of the degrade macro invertebrate guild. The main function is int he comminution. 

 

Utilizing by human:

The genus as a degrade fills a part of ecosystem’s metabolism. 

 

Source of description

http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Trachelipus_nodulosus

Vilisics, F., Sólymos, P., Hornung, E. (2007): Preliminary study on habitat features and associated terrestrial isopod species: a sampling scheme and conservation implications. In: Tajovsky K, Schlaghamersky J, Pizl V (eds): Contributions to Soil Zoology in Central Europe 2. Tisk Josef Posekany, Ceske Budejovice ISBN 978 80 86525 08 2 

Schmalfuss, H. (2003): World catalog of terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea). Stuttg Beitr Naturk, Serie A, 654: 341.

Schmidt, C. (1997): Revision of the European species of thegenus Trachelipus Budde-Lund, 1908 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea). Zool J Linn Soc 121: 129-244.