Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Crustacea (Crustaceans) ➔ Class Malacostraca (Malacostracans) ➔ Order Isopoda (Pillbugs, sowbugs, woodlice) ➔ Family Trachelipodidae

Trachelipus ratzeburgii (Brandt, 1833)

Synonyms and other combinations:

Porcellio intermedius Lereboullet, 1853 | Porcellio nemorensis C.Koch, 1841 | Porcellio quercuum Schnitzler, 1853 | Porcellio ratzeburgii Brandt, 1833 | Porcellio ratzeburgii ratzeburgii Brandt, 1833 | Porcellio sarajevensis Verhoeff, 1907 | Porcellio sylvestris Sill, 1862 | Trachelipus bujori Radu, 1950 | Tracheoniscus ratzeburgii |

  • Trachelipus ratzeburgii 6003
    Trachelipus ratzeburgii (Brandt, 1833)     
    Trachelipus ratzeburgii, det. Arp Kruithof
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2013-05-05 12:36:08
    Image number: 6003

    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2013-05-05 12:36:08
    det. Arp Kruithof
  • Trachelipus ratzeburgii 6004
    Trachelipus ratzeburgii (Brandt, 1833)     
    Trachelipus ratzeburgii, det. Arp Kruithof
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2013-05-05 12:37:34
    Image number: 6004

    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2013-05-05 12:37:34
    det. Arp Kruithof
  • Trachelipus ratzeburgii 6192
    Trachelipus ratzeburgii (Brandt, 1833)     
    Trachelipus ratzeburgii, det. Jürgen Peters
    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald; 2013-07-08 14:08:20
    Image number: 6192

    DE, Chemnitz, Zeisigwald
    2013-07-08 14:08:20
    det. Jürgen Peters

Distribution
Europe
Habitat:
Preferably in the mountains, but also in the lowlands.
Habitus:
Size: male 10 mm, female 11.5 mm x 6 mm.
Body: dark gray-brown, with lateral rows of pale spots, without median stripe; hind corners of coxal plates ferrugineous; tuberculation strong on tergites, weaker on coxal plates; eyes consisting of 18 - 25 ommatidia.
Biology:
Trachelipus ratzeburgii prefers warm and dry areas. The woodlouse is found under the bark of tree stumps and rotten trees, as well as under stones and in moss. Trachelipus ratzeburgii feeds on decaying plant matter, algae, fungal tissues, dead insects and feces.

References, further reading, links:
  1. Boyko C.B, Bruce N.L., Merrin K. L., Ota Y., Poore G.C.B., Taiti S., Schotte M. & Wilson G.D.F. (Eds) (2008 onwards). (2018). WoRMS Isopoda: World Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans database (version 2017-03-01). In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life, 2017 Annual Checklist (Roskov Y., Abucay L., Orrell T., Nicolson D., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., DeWalt R.E., Decock W., De Wever A., Nieukerken E. van, Zarucchi J., Penev L., eds.). Digital resource at www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2017. Species 2000: Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands. ISSN 2405-884X.
  2. Schmidt, Christian: Revision of the European species of the genus Trachelipus Budde-Lund, 1908 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (1997), 121: 129-244.