Ant Woodlouse - Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii

Description

Size up to 4mm. Ant woodlice are completely off white, perhaps due to their underground lifestyle in ants nests. The ants seem to be quite comfortable sharing their homes with these ghostly white miniature woodlice.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Nearly always found in the underground nests of ants.

When to see it

All year round.

Life History

Tolerated by the ants possibly because the woodlice keep the nest clear of droppings. The dark underground environment does not seem to hinder the woodlice, and it is thought this could be because they are blind.

UK Status

Fairly frequent in southern Britain less so further north.

VC55 Status

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Ant Woodlouse
Species group:
Woodlice, Crustaceans
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Isopoda
Family:
Platyarthridae
Records on NatureSpot:
48
First record:
30/09/1987 (Adrian Rundle)
Last record:
30/11/2023 (Cann, Alan)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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