Terrestrial Amphipod
Profile
Adelaide Hills
Terrestrial Amphipod
Ventral
 
                      
Terrestrial Amphipod (Talitridae sp)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Crustaceans (Malacostraca)
Order: Crustaceans (Amphipoda)
Family: Landhoppers (Talitridae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Terrestrial Amphipod (Talitridae sp)
This Photo:     Legs
Other names: Landhoppers or Landshrimps

General Species Information:
Found in the Adelaide Hills and possibly elsewhere
~6mm long. Found in the front lawn of our place in Lobethal, in January on the shady side of a large tree. There's one here with different coloured antennae & legs to the others. They were all collected at the same time in the same location. This variation is possibly due to different species/gender/age.

Thomas Mesaglio said "They need moisture/water to prevent drying out, but will drown with too much water. I think there are a few different genera/species as you'd expect, but the most common one in Australia is Arcitalitrus sylvaticus, which has also been introduced to the US, UK, NZ, etc".

Chris Lambkin said "Yes we get lots of these on occassions when pan trapping as Thomas described. Even get them in Malaise Traps in moist environments. Interestingly when they die they turn orange, especially in alcohol!"

Ian Gibbins said "Amphipods are terrestrial crustaceans. They are probably related to another group of terrestrial crustaceans, the Isopods, which include slaters and so-called pill bugs". "They are not especially closely related to true shrimps, prawns, etc. Amphipods are common in our garden in Belair - turn over a long standing pot or old brick, and they will spring out."

Copyright © 2018-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 13-Jan-2018
This species is an Australian Native Species, not listed in the SA Murray Mallee Survey of 2010.