Distribution of Alien Species of Woodlice (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) in the Russian Far East

Abstract

Woodlice were not recorded in the fauna of undisturbed terrestrial ecosystems of the Russian Far East. Initially, in this region, three species of this group lived only on the littoral and were well studied by marine biologists. In the 20th century, separate records of woodlice began to appear in terrestrial ecosystems, and in recent years, the number of finding points and species has increased. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the fauna of synanthropic woodlice has already reached ten species. The only species that successively invaded untouched forest ecosystems is Porcellio scaber. Along with other cosmopolitan species, the alien species Hyloniscus riparius also penetrated here, the distribution of which in the European part of Russia became widespread. Penetration of woodlice in the territory where they never existed may cause the extinction of the indigenous saprophagous species and lead to a decrease in the level of biological diversity in the soil and the sustainability of ecosystems in the long term.