Porcellionides pruinosus (Brandt, 1833)
Common name
Plum Woodlouse
Synonyms
Metoponorthus pruinosus (Brandt, 1833)
Status:
GB IUCN status: Least Concern
ID Difficulty
Identification
Porcellionides pruinosus is a medium sized (to 12mm body length) woodlouse of distinctive appearance (and habitat). It is typically a purplish-brown in colour with a characteristic blue-grey bloom (but rarely it may be orange). The body colour contrasts against the long whitish legs and the pale annulations on the antennae. The body has an obviously stepped outline allowing rapid movement, the antennal flagella comprising two segments and with two pairs of pleopodal lungs.
Distribution
Porcellionides pruinosus is widely distributed throughout Britain and Ireland, perhaps most common in central and eastern England (but it is under-recorded in many areas).
Habitat
Characteristically it is found within manure heaps, even those in fields (where it can be abundant within the heap), but also associated with out-buildings of dairy farms, stables or riding schools, and compost heaps in churchyards, gardens and allotments.
This summary is based on the detailed account in Gregory (2009).
References
Gregory, S. (2009) Woodlice and Waterlice (Isopoda: Oniscidea & Asellota) in Britain and Ireland. Field Studies Council/Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.
Links
World List of Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans: https://www.marinespecies.org/isopoda/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=262544
BRC code
82
idBmigTaxa
Cru_1631