Terrestrial amphipod (Hopper)

Description:

Small land Crustacea that moves by hopping usually found in damp soil or amongst leaf litter. Terrestrial amphipods are land Crustacea unique to those lands that once formed part of Gondwanaland or islands of the Indo-Pacific region. Zoologically and biogeographically they are very interesting in being one of the few groups to have conquered land.

Habitat:

They live in land, in forests of all types, and in damp grassland, both indigenous and adventive where-ever it is damp enough and leaf litter is available. In the forest they are major routes for the mineralisation of plant wastes, so are very important in the long-termed health of the forest.They are mainly active at night.

Notes:

They eat dead plant matter, especially lignocellulosics. The females bear their eggs on the underside of their body in a special brood chamber. The eggs hatch in one to three weeks. The young amphipods resemble the adults and leave the pouch during the next one to eight days when the female has her first molt during mating. The molt usually takes about one hour. Most species complete their life cycle (egg to adult) in one year. the young have direct development. Some species are small, ranging up to 3 mm in length. Most average about 12 to 15 mm in length.