''Ligidium blueridgensis'' is a species of terrestrial

isopod Isopoda is an Order (biology), order of crustaceans. Members of this group are called isopods and include both Aquatic animal, aquatic species and Terrestrial animal, terrestrial species such as woodlice. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons ...

in the family

Ligiidae Ligiidae is a family of woodlice, the only family in the infraorder Diplocheta. Its members are common on rocky shores, in similar habitats to those inhabited by species of the bristletail '' Petrobius'' and the crab '' Cyclograpsus''. The famil ...

, found in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It is known from the southern

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, and

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

. The species was originally described in 1964 by George Schultz from two females and one male collected under a rotten log in northern Georgia just south of

Highlands, North Carolina Highlands is an incorporation (municipal government), incorporated town in Macon County, North Carolina, Macon County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located on a plateau in the southern Appalachian Mountains, within the Nantahala National F ...

. ''Ligidium blueridgensis'' spans several biogeographical barriers across its distribution that other southern Appalachian ''Ligidium'' do not cross. Despite this, the species shows deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages delineated by these barriers, suggesting an old presence and diversification within the southern Blue Ridge Mountains. ''Ligidium blueridgensis'' is morphologically very similar to ''

Ligidium pacolet ''Ligidium pacolet'' is a species of terrestrial isopod in the family Ligiidae, found in the United States. It is only known from a single location in Polk County, North Carolina. The species name ''pacolet'' refers to the North Pacolet River, ...

'' and ''

Ligidium whiteoak ''Ligidium whiteoak'' is a species of terrestrial isopod in the family Ligiidae, found in the United States. It is only known from a single location in Blount County, Tennessee. The species name ''whiteoak'' refers to Whiteoak Sink, a trail with ...

''. It can be distinguished from these two species by the slender projection on the end of the male second

pleopod The anatomy of a decapod consists of 20 body segments grouped into two main body parts: the cephalothorax and the pleon (abdomen). Each segment – often called a somite – may possess one pair of appendages, although in various groups these m ...

endopodite The arthropod leg is a form of jointed appendage of arthropods, usually used for walking. Many of the terms used for arthropod leg segments (called podomeres) are of Latin origin, and may be confused with terms for bones: ''coxa'' (meaning hip, : ...

rising from the inner tip corner from the dorsal surface and pointing

caudally Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position provi ...

and inwards. Additionally, the male pleopod endopodite broadens in the final third of its length in ''Ligidium pacolet'', but remains the same width in ''Ligidium blueridgensis''.

References

Isopoda Endemic crustaceans of the United States Crustaceans described in 1964 Natural history of Georgia (U.S. state) Natural history of North Carolina Natural history of South Carolina Natural history of Tennessee Blue Ridge Mountains {{Isopod-stub