''Armadillidium phalacronum'' is a

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

woodlouse A woodlouse (plural woodlice) is an isopod crustacean from the polyphyleticThe current consensus is that Oniscidea is actually triphyletic suborder Oniscidea within the order Isopoda. They get their name from often being found in old wood. ...

endemic to

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

. It is a relatively small-sized species that probably belongs to the so-called "''

Armadillidium insulanum ''Armadillidium'' () is a genus of the small terrestrial crustacean known as the woodlouse. ''Armadillidium'' are also commonly known as pill woodlice, leg pebbles, pill bugs, roly-poly, or potato bugs, and are often confused with pill millipedes ...

'' complex".

Taxonomy

''Armadilliidum phalacronum'' was described as a distinct species of ''

Armadillidium ''Armadillidium'' () is a genus of the small terrestrial crustacean known as the woodlouse. ''Armadillidium'' are also commonly known as pill woodlice, leg pebbles, pill bugs, roly-poly, or potato bugs, and are often confused with pill millipedes ...

'' in 2008, based on specimens collected as far back as 1987. Additionally, the species is also thought to belong to the "''Armadillidium insulanum'' complex", a group of closely related, small-sized pill bugs that occur in various Aegean Islands and the nearby Greek and

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

coasts. Specifically, within this group, ''Armadillidium phalacronum'' is probably most closely related to ''Armadillidium insulanum'' sensu lato, from which it can be separated by the

curvature In mathematics, curvature is any of several strongly related concepts in geometry. Intuitively, the curvature is the amount by which a curve deviates from being a straight line, or a surface deviates from being a plane. For curves, the canonic ...

of the upper margin of the frontal shield (straight in ''A. phalacronum'' vs rounded in ''A. insulanum''), the shape of the antennae lobes (rounded in ''A. phalacronum'' vs trapezoidal in ''A. insulanum'') and the length of the posterior lobe of the exopodite of the first

pleopod The decapod ( crustaceans such as a crab, lobster, shrimp or prawn) is made up of 20 body segments grouped into two main body parts: the cephalothorax and the pleon (abdomen). Each segment may possess one pair of appendages, although in various ...

of the male (longer in ''A. phalacronum'').

Description

''Armadillidium phalacronum'' is a small-sized species, reaching maximum dimensions of about 12.5 × 5.5 mm. Its tergites are almost completely smooth. The coloration of the body is brownish gray, sometimes decorated with light spots at the bases of the epimera. The frontal shield surpasses the anterior edge of the head, has a nearly straight upper margin and obtuse-shaped lateral angles. The head itself has a distinct groove in the middle, immediately behind the frontal shield. The secondary antennae have semicircular lobes and the second article of the

flagellum A flagellum (; ) is a hairlike appendage that protrudes from certain plant and animal sperm cells, and from a wide range of microorganisms to provide motility. Many protists with flagella are termed as flagellates. A microorganism may have f ...

is slightly longer than the first. The hind margins of the first pair of epimera are obtuse-angled. The telson is wider than long, with straight sides and a rounded tip. Concerning the sexual characters of the male, the first pereiopod bears a faintly developed brush of short spines on the carpus and the seventh pereiopod has a ventrally slightly concave ischium, decorated with a hair field at its apical part. The posterior lobe of the exopodite of the first

is triangular and the apex of the endopodite is straight .

Distribution

''Armadillidium phalacronum'' is endemic to the Greek regional unit of

Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

in the region of

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Eastern Macedonia and Thrace ( el, Ανατολική Μακεδονία και Θράκη, translit=Anatolikí Makedonía ke Thráki, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It consists of the northeastern parts of the coun ...

. Specifically, specimens have been collected only from Mount Falakro and the southern slopes of the western

Rhodope Mountains The Rhodopes (; bg, Родопи, ; el, Ροδόπη, ''Rodopi''; tr, Rodoplar) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, and the largest by area in Bulgaria, with over 83% of its area in the southern part of the country and the remainder in ...

Ecology

''Armadillidium phalacronum'' can be found from 400 m up to 1800 m and in a variety of

habitats In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

, ranging from

maquis shrublands 220px, Low maquis in Corsica 220px, High ''macchia'' in Sardinia ( , , ) or ( , ; often in Italian; hr, makija; ; ) is a shrubland biome in the Mediterranean region, typically consisting of densely growing evergreen shrubs. Maquis is char ...

and mixed forests to

alpine meadows Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alpine tundra gets ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q107096597 Woodlice Woodlice of Europe Crustaceans described in 2008 Endemic fauna of Greece