The distributions and habitat associations of Hyloniscus riparius (C. Koch) and Trachelipus rathkii (Brandt) at a floodplain meadow on the River Avon, Worcestershire
Fleming, A. and Cherrill, A. (2026) The distributions and habitat associations of Hyloniscus riparius (C. Koch) and Trachelipus rathkii (Brandt) at a floodplain meadow on the River Avon, Worcestershire. Bulletin of the British Myriapod & Isopod Group, 38. pp. 21-36.
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A Cherrill The distributions and habitat associations of Hyloniscus riparius (C. Koch) OCR Upload.pdf - Published Version Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
The distributions of the woodlouse Hyloniscus riparius (C. Koch) and associated species were surveyed at a floodplain meadow site in Worcestershire comprising hedgerows, and grasslands with varying amounts of rush tussocks. The most abundant associate was Trachelipus rathkii (Brandt). Both species were found in piles of flood debris immediately adjacent to the river, in debris beneath a hedgerow, and in the bases of rush tussocks within the meadow. Hyloniscus riparius was strongly associated with flood debris, both within discrete piles of debris immediately adjacent to the river and within debris deposited adjacent to, and within, a hedgerow. A small number of individuals were also found within rush tussocks in the floodplain meadow. Within piles of debris, numbers of H. riparius were positively related to the depth of material. In contrast, numbers of T. rathkii were unrelated to the depth of material and overall, the species was less strongly associated with flood debris; being equally frequent within rush tussocks. Contrasting the species’ distributions indicates that H. riparius is more sensitive to moisture levels within its microhabitat. The survey also suggests that H. riparius may have the capacity to spread from its riparian stronghold to other habitats provided a suitably moist microhabitat comprising dead plant material is present at the soil surface. As part of the survey, a method using refugia made from rolled tubes of corrugated cardboard was found to have potential for detecting the presence of H. riparius, particularly when the refugia were dampened.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Divisions: | Research Centres > Centre for Crop and Environmental Science > Entomology Group |
| Depositing User: | Mrs Susan Howe |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Aug 2026 11:24 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Aug 2026 11:24 |
| URI: | https://hau.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/18408 |
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