Eluma caelata (Miers, 1877)

Boeraeve, Pepijn, Arijs, Gert, Segers, Stijn, Smedt, Pallieter De, Spinicornis & Utm, Belgium. Every grid cell of the, 1908, Habitat and seasonal activity patterns of the terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea) of Belgium, Belgian Journal of Entomology 116, pp. 1-95 : 66

27. Eluma caelata (Miers, 1877)

( Fig. 20 a , Fig. 31 , Map 27 , Table 29)

Eluma caelata was for the first time recorded in Belgium in 2016 ( DE SMEDT et al., 2017). It is a very rare species with only three known localities in Belgium, all in open landscape ( Table 29, Map 27 ). The first discovery was in a rough grassland habitat near the nature reserve het “Zwin”. The other two observations were further away from the coast (10–15 km) in open landscape near a ditch with some trees in close vicinity. The species favours rather similar habitat in the Netherlands, where it occurs only in the province neighbouring the Belgian localities ( BERG et al., 2008). By contrast, in France E. caelata is found in forest on acidic soils but these localities are hundreds of kilometres south of the Belgian populations ( SÉCHET & NOËL, 2015).

All Belgian observation are from the end of the season: October, November and December. However, because of the low number of records we cannot deduct conclusions based on the phenology diagram ( Fig. 31 ).

Figures

Map 27. Distribution map for Eluma caelata.

Fig. 20. a, Eluma caelata; b, Cylisticus convexus; c, Porcellio monticola; d, Porcellio scaber; e, Porcellio spinicornis; f, Porcellionides pruinosus; g, Porcellium conspersum; h, Trachelipus rathkii.

Fig. 31. Corrected number of observations per two-month period for Eluma caelata (N = 6).