Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.2006, Page 174

Distribution of Woodlice (Isopoda:
Oniscoidea) in the Faroe Islands
Útbreiðsla av gráum undir steini
(Isopoda: Oniscoidea) í Føroyum
Janus Hansen' and Jens-Kjeld Jensen2
1 Hammershaimbsvegur 16, FO-360 Sandavágur, Faroe Islands. Email: janush@ngs.fo
2 í Geilini 37, FO-270 Nólsoy, Faroe Islands. Email: jkjensen@post.olivant.fo
Úrtak
Fýra sløg av gráum undir steini eru staðfest í Føroyum:
Trichoniscus pusillus Brandt, 1833, Ligia oceanica
(Linnaeus, 1767), Oniscus asellus Linnaeus, 1758 og
Porcellio scaber Latreille, 1804. í hesari kanning varð
einki nýtt slag funnið. A 48 støðum vórðu grá undir
steini staðfest fyri fyrstu ferð, so saman við eldri
kanningum eru tey nú staðfest á 59 støðum tilsamans.
Hesi støð eru sett á kort. Orðskift verður um útbreiðsl-
una.
Abstract
Asurvey ofwoodlice has been conducted. Species found
were: Trichoniscus pusillus Brandt, 1833, Ligia
oceanica, Oniscus asellus Linnaeus, 1758 and Porcellio
scaber Latreille, 1804, and no new species were found.
We were able to document the presence of woodlice in
48 new locations, bringing the total to 59. The
distribution found is discussed.
Introduction
The Faroe Islands are located in the north-
eastern Atlantic Ocean and comprise 18 is-
lands. They have been free of ice since the
Weichselian glaciation 9500 years ago, since
when an immigration of plants and animals
has occurred. During the last 1100 years, dis-
persal by man to and within the Faroe Is-
lands, has been in effect (Enckell, 1985). It
is quite possible that man has been the vec-
tor which has transported some species of
woodlice to and within the Faroes, e.g. io
the ballast of ships with agricultural tools.
It is well known that exotic terrestrial in-
vertebrates are accidentally introduced to the
Faroes each year (e.g. Jensen and Sivertsen,
2004; 2005; Bengtson et al., 2004). We do
not know of any recently introduced wood-
lice.
Scharff (1904) published the first two
records of woodlice from the Faroe Islands
followed by Lohmander (1929) and Steph-
ensen (1929) who worked a large material
ofterrestrial isopods and marine crustaceans
(Isopoda and Tanaidacea) collected on the
Faroes.
Ligia oceanica is a large species, about
30mm long. It is an amphibian and occurs
Fróðskaparrit 54. bók 2006: 172-176