Trachelipus rathkii
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Trachelipus rathkii |
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| ( Brandt , 1833) |
Trachelipus rathkii is a common European lobster from the Trachelipodidae family.
Surname
The species is named after the German zoologist Heinrich Rathke , who among other things dealt with crustaceans. One could suspect a spelling mistake , actually the name should be rathkei . If a new species is dedicated to a person, it is customary to Latinize the surname, change the ending (Rathkius), and form the genitive from it. For this reason the species is sometimes referred to as T. rathkei, but due to the priority rule, the original name remains valid.
The generic name can probably be derived from the Latin trachea = windpipe and the Greek pus = foot. The name comes from the fact that on the pleopods (swimming legs in many other crustaceans) in the genus Trachelipus there are 5 paired pseudotracheas for oxygen absorption from the air.
Trachelipus rathkii translates as "Rathke's tracheal foot".
features
Trachelipus rathkii becomes large to 15 millimeters and is similar to the louse . The flattened body is covered with large and rather flat bumps. The middle lobe on the head is slightly protruding and evenly rounded, while the side lobes are clearly pronounced and obliquely directed outwards. There is an obtuse angle between the middle and side lobes. The antenna whip is bipartite, the length of the two limbs to each other varies depending on age: in young animals the end limb is slightly longer, with age the lengths of the two limbs equalize. The uropod exopodites are pen-shaped and the glandular pore fields are close to the edge of the epimers. There are 5 pairs of pseudo-tracheoes on the pleopods .
Trachelipus rathkii has two white longitudinal stripes that run along the edges of the peraeomers . The rest of the color is variable and marbled in different proportions orange-brown, black and white. There are also often almost completely black, gray, orange or brown animals. As with many woodlice species, the females are on average a little lighter.
Way of life
Trachelipus rathkii hides during the day, often in large numbers, under dead wood, bark, stones, grass and the like. According to Gruner, the animals can survive underwater for up to 66 days and eat during this time. Other species, such as the wood louse , can only withstand a few hours or days in the water despite their gills. The sex ratio is unbalanced, around 64 to 80 percent of the animals are female. The number of offspring per "litter" and female is an average of 60. To protect against predators, the species, unlike ropes, cannot curl up, instead it presses itself flat against the ground.
Habitat and Distribution
Trachelipus rathkii is very undemanding and adaptable. The species can survive in water for several weeks, which is why it is often the dominant woodlice species in alluvial forests and floodplain areas. It can often be found at the edges of waters or ditches. At the same time, it also occurs in very dry habitats, such as semi-arid grassland or fields. It also gets along well in areas with little lime. It prefers open habitats, but is also found sporadically in the forest. It can also be found in ant nests; it is typically not found in settlement areas.
The species occurs in large parts of Europe and in western Russia, only in the Mediterranean area it is largely absent. It was also introduced to Northeast America, where it is now very common. It is also one of the most common woodlice in Germany.
Types of confusion
The type is similar to the Kellerassel Porcellio scaber, with which it is often confused. Differences are, for example, the number of white pseudotracheal pleopods in living animals, the rounder frontal lobe in the center of the head and the blunt tubercles on the body surface. The two white vertical stripes on the back are also typical of the Trachelipus genus. The bricklayer has 3 antennae whiplash links.
A very similar species is the rare, related species Trachelipus nodulosus , whose western limit of distribution runs through Germany and occurs in warm and dry habitats. It can only be distinguished by the position of the glandular pore fields on the epimers and the male pleopods. There are other very similar species in Eastern Europe.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Hans-Eckhard Gruner: Crustaceans or Crustacea: Isopoda, 2nd delivery . In: Maria Dahl, Fritz Peus (Hrsg.): The animal world of Germany and the adjacent parts of the sea according to their characteristics and according to their way of life . tape 5 , 2nd delivery. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena 1966, p. 229 .
- ↑ Trachelipus rathkii. Retrieved January 18, 2020 (Dutch).