24 George A. Schultz 



the cool mountains and L. elrodii in the swamps of the Piedmont Pla- 

 teau and Coastal Plain. Altitude and temperature also probably affect 

 regional distribution of the species of the genus. 



The five species of Trichoniscidae are small to tiny in size. They 

 require sheltered habitats where moisture is more or less uniform 

 throughout the year. Such habitats are found in dense leaf litter and in 

 well decayed logs of wooded areas. Miktoniscus halophilus is wide- 

 spread in eastern North Carolina, being abundant in leaf litter and 

 decayed logs of river bottoms in upland locations. As the leaf litter dries 

 in summer the species becomes more restricted to the moist parts of its 

 habitat. Miktoniscus medcofi generally occurs in habitats similar to 

 those of M. halophilus (see Schultz 1976), but in North Carolina it has 

 been collected only in a cave in the western part of the state. Thus, its 

 preferred habitat cannot now be discussed. Like many oniscoids it can 

 easily live in caves where temperature and moisture are relatively con- 

 stant. So far no species modified for cave life has been collected in 

 North Carolina. 



Hyloniscus riparius in North Carolina occurs in habitats similar to 

 those of Miktoniscus halophilus, but generalizations about its distribu- 

 tion cannot be made because it was recorded only once, near Durham. 

 Trichoniscus pusillus has also been recorded only once in the state, but 

 lives with H. riparius in New Jersey (Schultz 1965b) and might do so in 

 North Carolina. Haplophthalmus danicus is apparently present in many 

 moist locations, but is especially abundant in pulpy, shaded logs. A syc- 

 amore log in an advanced stage of decay was one such habitat in the 

 Durham region. Organic content of habitat probably plays an impor- 

 tant role in the distribution of H. danicus. 



The other species are the more commonly encountered "woodlice" 

 or "pill bugs," which also live in a variety of habitats. Cylisticus con- 

 vexus was found in places that seemed to provide moist retreats most of 

 the year, although the species occasionally was seen wandering in rela- 

 tively dry places. It was especially abundant where human refuse — old 

 furniture, boards, and other non-food trash — was present. It occurred 

 frequently in decayed logs that had been invaded and later abandoned 

 by carpenter ants. Porcellio scaber was present in leaf litter at the bases 

 of trees in parks and near building at many locations. It frequently 

 shared habitat with Porcellionides pruinosus. They never were as 

 abundant as the other large species, but their presence was always pre- 

 dictable. Porcellio laevis was occasionally encountered in the same habi- 

 tats, but was most abundant where the habitat was quite moist or where 

 human refuse was present. Oniscus asellus was recorded only once, so 

 its habitat preference in North Carolina is not well known. 



Armadillidium nasatum occurred in the widest range of wet-dry 

 habitats, although it was not present in habitats as dry as those of A. 



