Armadillidium nasatum, the nosy pill woodlouse, is a large, Western European-based species of woodlouse that has been introduced to North America, along with Armadillidium vulgare also found in other parts of Europe.
| Armadillidium nasatum | |
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| Armadillidium nasatum, in standard posture (above) and conglobated (below) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Superorder: | Peracarida |
| Order: | Isopoda |
| Suborder: | Oniscidea |
| Family: | Armadillidiidae |
| Genus: | Armadillidium |
| Species: | A. nasatum
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| Binomial name | |
| Armadillidium nasatum Budde-Lund, 1833 [1]
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| Subspecies | |
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| Range (UK only)[2][3] | |
| Synonyms [4] | |
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Description edit
Armadillidium nasatum can reach lengths of up to 21 millimetres.[2][5] Like Armadillidium depressum, it does not form a complete ball when enrolled.[2] Though similar in outwards appearance to Armadillidium vulgare in dark grey color, the main distinguishing feature is a rectangular-like protrusion ("nose") towards the apex of the head. The tail (telson) has a rounded tip with incurved sides, as opposed to most genus Armadillidium species which have a smaller, flat tail.[5] Pale longitudinal stripes spanning from head to rear are seen on some individuals, though this is variable and is not a diagnostic feature.[6]
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A. nasatum: note the "nose" and large telson -
A. vulgare: no "nose" and smaller telson
Distribution edit
Armadillidium nasatum occurs in patches in southern England, with concentrated areas in its range and sporadic occurrences in Ireland.[2] It lives in dryer areas than most woodlice, is synanthropic, and is frequently found in non-inhabited areas such as railway lines and industrial waste ground.[2] Like other woodlice, it is found under stones and wood.
Subspecies edit
There are five recognized subspecies in the species Armadillidium nasatum:[1]
- Armadillidium nasatum flava Colinge, 1989
- Armadillidium nasatum mehelyi Verhoeff, 1930
- Armadillidium nasatum nasatum Budde-Lund, 1885
- Armadillidium nasatum nigrescens Collinge, 1918
- Armadillidium nasatum saidovni Arcangeli, 1950
References edit
- ^ a b "Armadillidium nasatum Budde-Lund, 1885". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Armadillidium nasatum Budde-Lund, 1885
- ^ "Discover | Natural History Museum".
- ^ Helmut Schmalfuss (2003). "World catalog of terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea) — revised and updated version" (PDF). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Serie A. 654: 341 pp. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-02-24. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
- ^ a b Powerpoint Presentation - nasatum.pdf
- ^ "Armadillidium nasatum Nosy Pill Woodlouse". iNaturalist. Jul 26, 2023.
External links edit
Media related to Armadillidium nasatum at Wikimedia Commons
