The terrestrial Isopoda (Crustacea, Oniscidea) of the Maldives

Abstract

Twenty-seven species of terrestrial isopods are recorded from the Maldive Islands (North Kaafu Atoll and Vaavu Atoll). One genus (Eubelinum) in the family Eubelidae and three species (Styloniscusmaldivensis, Eubelinumincertum, and Pseudodiploexochusindicus) are described as new, and 26 species are newly recorded from the archipelago. Ligia dentipes Budde-Lund, 1885 is also recorded from Sri Lanka and Seychelles. The poorly known species Tylosalbidus Budde-Lund, 1885 and Platyarthrus acropyga Chopra, 1924 are also illustrated. The composition and origin of the oniscidean fauna of the Maldives are briefly discussed.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:ABD0E6EA-83FE-4F61-8B81- D3C8A0B23848 © 2014 Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Firenze .