Abstract
The terrestrial isopod fauna of Maryland is inferred using the taxonomic literature, internet-based citizen science projects, and original collecting. Twenty-two species are either known or are likely to occur in the state. This includes 17 mostly-European adventive species that comprise the vast majority of records. Of the five expected native species, three occur in or near marine or estuarine littoral habitats and each has yet to be recorded or recorded from only a single locality. This situation likely reflects the long history of systematic work on the European fauna and the availability of keys for the identification of these taxa, which contrasts with the limited taxonomic work on native species. A taxonomic key, illustrations, and brief descriptions of species known or expected to occur in Maryland are provided.
Highlights
There are no up-to-date, comprehensive taxonomic keys to the terrestrial isopod species of the eastern United States, the most recent being that of Muchmore (1990)
The photos often do not show key diagnostic features and the specimens remain unidentified or even misidentified. It has become common in ecological studies to circumvent the issue by grouping unidentified specimens into look-alike morphospecies, a practice known as “taxonomic minimalism” (Beattle and Oliver 1994), which limits comparisons across studies and may inadvertently inflate or reduce the actual number of species in a study (Krell 2004)
A guide to the identification of the terrestrial Isopoda of Maryland, U.S.A. (Crustacea) 209 divided transversely by a raised frontal margin that begins on the lateral surface, passes anteriorly ventral to the eye region and dorsal to the base of the antennae, and traverses the anterior surface of the head
Summary
A guide to the identification of the terrestrial Isopoda of Maryland, U.S.A. (Crustacea). A guide to the identification of the terrestrial Isopoda of Maryland, U.S.A. Szlavecz | Received 1 February 2018 | Accepted 11 June 2018 | Published 3 December 2018 http://zoobank.org/D40B458A-3B6E-48D0-A8E9-4BA994D8EC79
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