North Carolina Terrestrial Isopods 17 



Trichoniscus pusillus Brandt 

 Fig. 10 

 Trichoniscus demivirgo Blake. Van Name 1936:76, fig. 29. 



The species T. demivirgo Blake has been shown to be the imported 

 T pusillus and not a distinct endemic species in North America as had 

 been thought. It is fairly common in northeastern United States, espe- 

 cially in association with Hyloniscus riparius in the leaf litter of wooded 

 river bottoms. It was found only in mountainous Watauga County. The 

 species attains a length of 5.5 mm, slightly smaller than Hyloniscus ripar- 

 ius, and is a paler red than that deep wine-red species (see Schultz 

 1965b). It has three ocelli in a characteristic triangular pattern (Fig. 10), 

 not one ocellus as in H. riparius. There are also fewer flagellar articles 

 on antenna 2 when compared to H. riparius. Most populations of the 

 species are composed of only females since the species reproduces par- 

 thenogenetically. It is probably more abundant in North Carolina than 

 the single record indicates (Map 7). 



Hyloniscus riparius (Koch) 



Figs. 11, 12 

 Hyloniscus riparius (Koch). Schultz 1965:131, figs. 1-20. 



Schultz (1965b) redescribed and summarized the ecology of the 

 species in eastern United States. He included illustrations and described 

 the population structure of specimens from New Jersey. The species dis- 

 tribution in North Carolina is shown on Map 5. It is common in leaf 

 litter of wooded streams and river bottoms where it might share habitat 

 with Trichoniscus pusillus as it does in New Jersey. River bottoms in 

 North Carolina contain Miktoniscus halophilus (perhaps also M. med- 

 cofi) and the species of Ligidium. The presence of the other isopods 

 might influence establishment and spread of H. riparius in North Carol- 

 ina. The species is distinguished from T. pusillus by its shiny deep wine- 

 red color and single ocellus. It grows to a length of about 5.5 mm. Identi- 

 fication can be confirmed by examining the apex of the endopod of 

 male pleopod 1 (Fig. 12). 



Miktoniscus medcofi (Van Name) 



Fig. 14 

 Miktoniscus linearis (Patience). Schultz 1962:47; 1964:94, figs. 20-32; 



1976:36. 

 Miktoniscus alabamensis Muchmore. Cooper and Cooper, 1977:211. 



Specimens from North Carolina include an adult male and two 

 adult females taken from Linville Caverns (Map 7), McDowell County 

 (Schultz 1964). The species is probably more abundant in the western 



