Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Genus Lirceus

6022218 crustacean - Lirceus Aquatic isopod - Lirceus 6022244 Lirceus - Lirceus 6022218 crustacean - Lirceus Small aquatic bug found in the stomach of a splake (fish) - Lirceus unknown - Lirceus unknown - Lirceus unknown - Lirceus
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)
Family Asellidae (Common Waterslaters)
Genus Lirceus
Other Common Names
Flat Waterslater
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Mancasellus Harger, 1876
Explanation of Names
Lirceus Rafinesque, 1820
Numbers
about 15 described species, potentially dozens of undescribed species
Range
Endemic to Eastern North America, known from the St. Lawrence River to eastern Oklahoma to northern Florida
Remarks
The last time this genus was revised was in 1949, where many poor features were used to define species. Thus, species identification of this genus is not reccomended until a new revision is released. With recent genetic studies, it's also come to light that some variable species described in 1949 are actually massive complexes of fairly recognizable species, so the diversity of this genus is likely to be very high(1)
Works Cited
1.Endangered Species Management in an era of ever-increasing biodiversity: a case study of the molecular phylogenetics of Lirce...
Julian Lewis, Salisa Lewis, William Orndorff, Florian Malard, Christophe Douady, Lara Konecy. 2019. National Speleological Society.