Is it a mite?

t

Common names

beach hoppers, litter hoppers

Probability of encounter

low

Quarantine importance

No known importance.

Similarity to mites

None.

Morphology

Normal adult length: 1–1.5 cm
Body tagmata: head (2 pairs of antennae), thorax (7 pairs of legs), abdomen (3 pairs of uropods)
Eyes: compound lateral
Antennae: biramous, flagellate, flagellum with many small segments; antennules 1/2 length of antennae
Mouthparts: mandibles without palps; two pairs of maxillae
Legs: 7 thoracic pairs, 1st pair may be pincer-like
Respiration: thoracic gills
Gonopore: posterior thoracic segments
Distinguishing features: laterally compressed; two pairs of antennae; 7 pairs of legs and 3 pairs of uropods

Comments: Amphipods are laterally compressed and curl ventrally. Two pairs of biramous antennae are present, and one pair (antennules) are about half the length of the other. The mandibles lack palps. The thorax has 7 pairs of legs and the abdomen has slender pleopods and three pairs of distal uropods, the last of which has a single segment (+/- a minute ramus).

Diversity

Ca. 6,000 species, but only one family (Talitridae) that has fully terrestrial species.

References

• Trueman and Dimitriadis 1999Trueman and Dimitriadis 1999:
  Trueman JWH, Dimitriadis S. 1999. Key to families of Australian aquatic Crustacea [Lucid multimedia key]. In: An Interactive Guide to Australian Aquatic Invertebrates (Windows ed. 2). CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood. (Original work published on CD-ROM)
• Williams 1980Williams 1980:
  Williams WD. 1980. Australian freshwater life: The invertebrates of Australian inland waters. Macmillian, Melbourne.