Superfamily Aselloidea - Waterslaters

Classification · Numbers · Identification

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Crustacea (Crustaceans)

Class Malacostraca (Malacostracans)

Superorder Peracarida (Marsupial Crustaceans)

Order Isopoda (Isopods)

Suborder Asellota (Asellotes)

Superfamily Aselloidea (Waterslaters)

Numbers

2 families, both in our area. Stenasellidae only contains 2 species in our area and both are small-ranged stygobionts in FL and TX

Identification

Family identification in Asellota is fairly simple: Asellidae has the pleonites small and ring-like, usually forming a narrow poorly visbible "pedicel" to the telson, while Stenasellidae has much larger pleonites that are always visible and often reach the margins. Stenasellids are also all stygobionts, so any heavily pigmented eyed waterslaters you find on the surface will always be Asellidae

Contributed by Sequoia Wrens on 3 October, 2021 - 10:59pm
Last updated 4 October, 2021 - 2:23pm

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