Abstract
In the broader context of research on the Sicilian Porcellio imbutus-complex, the postmarsupial development of Porcellio siculoccidentalis Viglianisi, Lombardo & Caruso, 1992 was studied in detail. This research was conducted in the laboratory under controlled conditions, allowing us to follow the stages of development, from the formation of the marsupium in ovigerous females until the larval stages and development of the seventh pair of legs. The timing of developmental stages and the morphological modifications of appendages in the postmarsupial manca stages (M I–M III) are described. The manca stage M I had a duration of about one hour. Ovigerous females were collected and reared separately, and the number of parturial molts in the absence of males was counted. The results showed a maximum of four successive parturial molts. Fecundity and fertility were evaluated as the number of eggs and embryos, respectively, inside the marsupium of the ovigerous females. Both parameters were positively correlated with the size of the females. The maximum numbers of eggs and embryos in the marsupium were 113 and 141, respectively. Data describing the total number of postmarsupial mancas released per month indicated that the highest release occurred in April.
Highlights
Porcellio siculoccidentalis Viglianisi, Lombardo & Caruso, 1992 is a species of terrestrial isopod, belonging to the Porcellio imbutus-complex, whose biology is still largely unknown
One hundred ovigerous females were taken in order to study their reproductive biology in the laboratory, to determine the fecundity and fertility parameters, and to describe the larval stages of the species
All ovigerous females showed a seasonal reproduction, with 1–4 successive parturial molts occurring before entering a non-reproductive period
Summary
Porcellio siculoccidentalis Viglianisi, Lombardo & Caruso, 1992 is a species of terrestrial isopod, belonging to the Porcellio imbutus-complex, whose biology is still largely unknown. It was recently described in a study (Viglianisi et al 1992) verifying the validity of Porcellio imbutus Budde-Lund, 1885, a Sicilian species that is present throughout the island. Its pleopod 1 exopodite has a rectangular internal lobe with an obliquely truncated apex, and the pereopod 7 has a rounded bump in the carpus
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