''Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii'' is a species of woodlouse which is closely associated with ants' nests, particularly those of ''

Lasius flavus The yellow meadow ant (''Lasius flavus''), also known as the yellow hill ant, is a species of ant occurring in Europe (where it is one of the most common ants), Asia, and North Africa. Populations in North America are now considered a different, ...

'', '' Lasius niger'' and species of ''

Myrmica ''Myrmica'' is a genus of ants within the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is widespread throughout the temperate regions of the Holarctic and high mountains in Southeast Asia. The genus consists of around 200 known species and additional subspecies, ...

'', where it feeds on ant droppings or mildew. It is white, long,Description, distribution, and habitat
/ref> and has a distinctive oval shape and short antennae. Its distribution appears to follow those of the ants with which it lives, and the British Isles are the north-westerly limit of its range. Elsewhere, ''P. hoffmannseggii'' extends south to the Mediterranean Sea. accessed through the NERC Open Access Research Archive (NORA) It is found outside Europe in North Africa and Turkey, and has been introduced to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. ''Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii'' should not be confused with ''

Porcellio hoffmannseggii ''Porcellio hoffmannseggii'', commonly called the titan isopod, is a species of woodlouse of the genus ''Porcellio'' described in 1833. This very large species is native to the southern Iberian Peninsula, Morocco and the Balearic Islands. ''Porc ...

,'' who's binomial name is also abbreviated as ''P. hoffmannseggii'' and described by the same researcher. Preserved specimens are also sometimes confused with dwarf isopods of the genus Trichoniscidae, due to their small size and similar appearance.

Physical Characteristics

''P. hoffmannseggii'' is not only very small, but also considered blind. This may be due to the fact that it typically lives in ant hills, in total darkness. This species reaches about 5mm in length (about 2 inches).

References

Woodlice Crustaceans described in 1833 {{Isopod-stub