The genus Armadillo Latreille, 1802 (Oniscidea, Armadillidae) from Cyprus, with descriptions of two new species.

The present work aims to morphologically characterize the species of Armadillo from Cyprus. Moreover, two new species of the genus are described, A. konstantinoui sp.

Intra-island patterns of cryptic diversity within an oceanic island: Insights from the differentiation of Schizidium Verhoeff, 1901 (Oniscidea, Armadillidiidae) within Cyprus, with descriptions of two new species.

Cyprus is a Mediterranean island of volcanic origin isolated for at least 5.3 Myr from surrounding continental areas. The present study focuses on the diversification of the isopod genus Schizidium within the island, including also specimens from surrounding continental areas.

Expanding the knowledge on the diversity of the cavernicolous Styloniscidae Vandel, 1952 (Oniscidea, Synocheta) from Brazil, with descriptions of two new species from the semiarid karst regions.

Two new species of from two caves in karst areas of the Brazilian semiarid region are described. Campos-Filho, Torres & Bichuette, from Gruna do Govi cave, Serra do Ramalho karst area, state of Bahia, and Campos-Filho, Taiti & Bichuette, from Toca Coroa do Frade cave, Barra Bonita karst area, state of Piauí. In addition, specimens of from Gruta da Tapagem (= Caverna do Diabo), Açungui karst area were also recorded.

Species conservation profiles of cave-adapted terrestrial isopods from Portugal.

Background: Terrestrial isopods (Oniscidea) are the most diverse group of troglobionts in caves of continental Portugal. They occur in all karst regions of Portugal, play a major role in decomposition of organic matter in caves and may act as umbrella species for the conservation of all other cave-adapted invertebrates.

New Information: We present the IUCN Red List profiles for the cave-adapted terrestrial isopods from continental Portugal, based on recent distribution data from caves.

Genetic evidence against monophyly of Oniscidea implies a need to revise scenarios for the origin of terrestrial isopods.

Among the few crustacean taxa that managed to inhabit terrestrial environments, Oniscidea includes the most successful colonizers in terms of species richness and abundance. However, neither morphological traits nor molecular markers have definitively resolved phylogenetic relationships among major Oniscidea clades or established the monophyly of the taxon. Herein, we employed the highly conserved, nuclear protein-coding genes Sodium-Potassium Pump (NAK) and Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (PEPCK), along with the traditionally used 18 s and 28 s ribosomal RNA genes, in an attempt to clarify these questions.

Taxonomy of Alpioniscus (Illyrionethes): A. magnus and three new species from the Dinaric Karst (Isopoda: Oniscidea: Trichoniscidae).

Alpioniscus (Illyrionethes) is a widespread subgenus of Trichoniscidae in the Dinaric Karst with 15 nominal troglobiotic species. Here we redescribe Alpioniscus (Illyrionethes) magnus and describe three new species (A. lossinii n.

Two new species and new records of terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) from Brazilian caves.

To date, approximately 190 species of terrestrial isopods are known from Brazil and only 14 are considered troglobiotic. After the examination of a large collection from caves in Bambuí and Una geomorphological areas, along the states of Bahia, Minas Gerais and Goiás, two new troglobiotic species were recognized. Pectenoniscus liliae Campos-Filho, Bichuette Taiti sp.

A molecular phylogeny of Porcellionidae (Isopoda, Oniscidea) reveals inconsistencies with present taxonomy.

Porcellionidae is one of the richest families of Oniscidea globally distributed but we still lack a comprehensive and robust phylogeny of the taxa that are assigned to it. Employing five genetic markers (two mitochondrial and three nuclear) we inferred phylogenetic relationships among the majority of Porcellionidae genera. Phylogenetic analyses conducted via Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference resulted in similar tree topologies.

The genus Racovitza, 1908 in Sardinia: taxonomy and natural history (Isopoda, Oniscidea, Trichoniscidae).

The genus Racovitza, 1908 (Trichoniscidae) from Sardinia is revised. Three new cave-dwelling species are described: Taiti & Argano, , Taiti & Argano, , and Taiti & Argano, . The genus Schmalfuss, 2005 is considered to be a junior synonym of , after morphological and molecular analyses.

Tailored disorder in calcite organization in tergite cuticle of the supralittoral isopod Tylos europaeus Arcangeli, 1938.

The crustacean cuticle forms skeletal elements consisting of chitin-protein fibrils reinforced by amorphous and crystalline calcium carbonate and phosphate minerals. The edges of skeletal elements are of particular interest. They are subject to repeated strain and stress because they form transitions to the arthrodial membranes connecting them.

A new genus of Trachelipodidae Strouhal, 1953 (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) from the eastern Mediterranean.

Levantoniscus n. gen. is erected for two new species from Cyprus: Levantoniscus bicostulatus n.

Taxonomic revision of the genus Benthana Budde-Lund, 1908 (Isopoda: Oniscidea: Philosciidae).

The neotropical genus Benthana (Philosciidae) is reviewed. Fourteen species are redescribed: Benthana picta, B. olfersii, B.

The terrestrial Isopoda (Crustacea, Oniscidea) of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), with descriptions of two new species.

Nine species of terrestrial isopods are reported for the Polynesian island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) based upon museum materials and recent collections from field sampling. Most of these animals are non-native species, but two are new to science: Styloniscusmanuvaka sp. n.

Patterns of taxonomic diversity among terrestrial isopods.

The publication of the world catalog of terrestrial isopods some ten years ago by Schmalfuss has facilitated research on isopod diversity patterns at a global scale. Furthermore, even though we still lack a comprehensive and robust phylogeny of Oniscidea, we do have some useful approaches to phylogenetic relationships among major clades which can offer additional insights into isopod evolutionary dynamics. Taxonomic diversity is one of many approaches to biodiversity and, despite its sensitiveness to biases in taxonomic practice, has proved useful in exploring diversification dynamics of various taxa.

Global diversification at the harsh sea-land interface: mitochondrial phylogeny of the supralittoral isopod genus Tylos (Tylidae, Oniscidea).

The supralittoral environment, at the transition between sea and land, is characterized by harsh conditions for life. Nonetheless, evolution of terrestrial isopods (Oniscidea), the only group of Crustacea fully adapted to live on land, appears to have involved a transitional step within the supralittoral. The two most basal oniscidean lineages (Ligiidae and Tylidae) have representatives that successfully colonized the supralittoral.

A complex evolutionary history in a remote archipelago: phylogeography and morphometrics of the Hawaiian endemic Ligia isopods.

Compared to the striking diversification and levels of endemism observed in many terrestrial groups within the Hawaiian Archipelago, marine invertebrates exhibit remarkably lower rates of endemism and diversification. Supralittoral invertebrates restricted to specific coastal patchy habitats, however, have the potential for high levels of allopatric diversification. This is the case of Ligia isopods endemic to the Hawaiian Archipelago, which most likely arose from a rocky supralittoral ancestor that colonized the archipelago via rafting, and diversified into rocky supralittoral and inland lineages.

Evolution in Hawaiian cave-adapted isopods (Oniscidea: Philosciidae): vicariant speciation or adaptive shifts?

We assessed evolutionary relationships among Hawaiian cave-adapted isopods using a maximum-likelihood criterion to analyze cytochrome oxidase I nucleotide sequences. Results support morphological data that two genera of philosciid isopods have invaded caves independently in the islands. In the genus Littorophiloscia, a sister relationship between a surface-dwelling species, L.

Morphology and evolution of the respiratory apparatus in the family Eubelidae (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea).

The morphology of the respiratory apparatus in the pleopodal lungs of the family Eubelidae was investigated. The family is a monophyletic group including more than 240 species in 53 genera (three of which are nomina dubia), mostly distributed in the Afrotropical Region (tropical Africa and Arabian Peninsula). In all the Eubelidae, except for the monospecific genus Parelumoides and two species of the genus Elumoides, the exopods of pleopods have lungs.