Occurrence of the “Tramp” Terrestrial Amphipods 
Talitroides alluaudi (Chevreux) and T. topitotum (Burt) 
(Amphipoda: Talitridae) in South Carolina 1 
Charles K. Biernbaum 
Grice Marine Biological Laboratory, 
College of Charleston, 205 Ft. Johnson, 
Charleston, South Carolina 29412 
ABSTRACT . — Populations of the terrestrial amphipods Talitroides 
alluaudi (Chevreux) and T. topitotum (Burt) have been found in 
Charleston, South Carolina. Both species are of Indo-Pacific origin, but 
have been transported throughout the world through commerce. 
Typical characteristics found in fully terrestrial talitrid amphipods are 
seen in these populations. 
INTRODUCTION 
Practically all coastal biologists are familiar with supralittoral 
talitrid amphipods, common under algae, wrack and sand near the high 
tide mark. However, few are familiar with the biology of those talitrid 
species that have become fully terrestrial. These species show a distribu- 
tion that is primarily tropical and Southern Hemisphere, with natural oc- 
currences in the Northern Hemisphere largely limited to Japan and the 
Indo-Malayan region, including Hawaii (Hurley 1968). Bousfield (pers. 
comm.) is currently studying extensive material of endemic terrestrial 
amphipods from Jamaica and Hispaniola, and parts of Mexico and Cen- 
tral America. Hurley (1968) believed that their absence from North 
America and Eurasia was most likely due to restrictions imposed by con- 
tinental climates. Their apparent absence from South America (except 
for a recent Brazilian introduction [Hurley 1975]) is, however, less easily 
explained. 
Although a few species are found in grasslands (Hurley 1968), most 
live in forest humus. In some areas they are a major component of this 
cryptozoic fauna; Birch and Clark (1953) found 4000m-2in an Australian 
forest. High susceptibility to desiccation has restricted most species to 
moist habitats, which, together with an inability to survive heavy frost 
winters (Bousfield 1968), probably explains in large part why they have 
been less successful in invading terrestrial ecosystems than the more 
desiccation-resistant isopods (Hurley 1959). 
'Contribution Number 48 of the Grice Marine Biological Laboratory, College of 
Charleston. 
Brimleyana No. 3: 107-111 July 1980. 
107 
