14 George A. Schultz 



Ligidium elrodii (Packard) 



Figs. 17, 18, 20 



Ligidium longicaudatum Stoller. Van Name 1936:70, fig. 24. Brimley 



1938:503. Schultz 1961:194. 

 Ligidium elrodii (Packard). Schultz 1970:39, figs. 4-11. 



The species was discussed by Schultz (1970) who pointed out that 

 L. longicaudatum Stoller was a junior synonym of L. elrodii. In eastern 

 United States it ranges from near Chicago to New York state, and from 

 Arkansas to North Carolina. It was first recorded in North Carolina by 

 Brimley (1938) from Pungo Lake, Bunnlevel, and the Duke Forest. Dis- 

 tribution is shown on Map 6. In the Durham region the species lives 

 around the edges of springs and along the margins of shaded permanent 

 streams. In the Beaufort region it lives in wet, swampy old-fields near 

 woodlands. It is abundant in both places. The species is shiny dark 

 brown and can attain a length of 10 mm. It can run quickly when dis- 

 turbed and was found to be active when snow was removed from near a 

 spring. In summer, as the water sources dry and moisture diminishes, 

 the species retreats to damper places. Only species of Ligia have more 

 flagellar articles and larger eyes than do most members of Ligidium. 

 Since members of the genus are apparently endemic to North America, 

 more work should be done studying the distribution and ecology of the 

 species. 



A different morphology is present on the endopod of male pleopod 

 2 of some specimens of L. elrodii (Figs. 18, 20) and they are from loca- 

 tions shown on Map 6. What the taxonomic status of this variant is has 

 yet to be determined. Distribution of the two species of Ligidium (Map 

 6) overlap, although specimens of L. elrodii from the western parts of its 

 range in the United States have not been examined morphologically. 

 Comparison of the tips of the endopods of pleopods 2 can be used to 

 distinguish L. elrodii from L. blueridgensis. 



Ligidium blueridgensis Schultz 

 Fig. 19 

 Ligidium blueridgensis Schultz 1964:90, figs. 1-19. Schultz 1970:38 



This species was originally described from northern Georgia just' 

 south of the North Carolina border (Schultz 1964). It is here recorded 

 from several places in western North Carolina (Map 6). The species is 

 easily distinguished from others in the genus by the long process project- 

 ing laterally from the apex on male pleopod 2 (Fig. 19). A male was 

 collected from leaf mold at 2500 ft. (762.5 m) on Ramsey Prong, near 

 Greenbrier, Robertson County, Tennessee, which is about 25 mi. (40 

 km) north of Nashville. This record considerably extended its range and 

 further established it as a species. The specimens are in the collection of 



