Porcellionides cingendus (Kinahan, 1857)

  1. Home
  2. Porcellionides cingendus

Synonyms

Metoponorthus cingendus (Kinahan, 1857) 

Status:

GB IUCN status: Least Concern

ID Difficulty

3

Identification

Porcellionides cingendus is a medium sized woodlouse (to 9 mm body length), mottled in various shades of yellow, red or brown.  It is a fast moving species, with a stepped body outline, the antennal flagella comprising two segments and with two pairs of pleopodal lungs.

Confusion is most likely with Philoscia muscorum or Philoscia affinis (which both have three flagella segments) or Ligidium hypnorum (flagella comprises many bead-like segments).

J.P. Richards
Keith Lugg
Keith Lugg
Warren Maguire
Warren Maguire
Simon Robson

Distribution

Porcellionides cingendus occurs widely throughout southern Ireland, but in England and Wales it has a markedly south-western and predominantly coastal distribution.

Habitat

In Ireland it occurs widely in rough grassland, hedgerows, open woodland, gardens, waste ground, etc. In Britain it is typically inhabits semi-natural coastal grassland, but may occur inland in gardens, etc.  

It can be found beneath stones, dead wood or mat-forming plants, and within tussocks or amongst grass litter. It is inevitably associated with Philoscia species, such as the western Philoscia affinis (hence frequent confusion). 

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=262505 

BRC code

82

idBmigTaxa

Cru_1630