Platanosphaera cavernarum (Vandel, 1958)

Higher Taxonomy
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Isopoda
Family: Armadillidiidae
Genus: Platanosphaera
Characterisation
Troglobiont
Distribution
Endemic to Greece
Locus Typicus
Spilaio Neraidospilios
Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Irakleio / Municipality: Chersonisos / Closest settlement: Karteros
Distribution in caves of Greece
  • Spilaio Neraidospilios , Vandel 1958, Schmalfuss 1972b, Schmalfuss 1979, Beron 2016
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Irakleio / Municipality: Chersonisos / Closest settlement: Karteros
  • Spilaio Nychteridospilios, Vandel 1958, Schmalfuss 1979, Schmalfuss et al. 2004, Beron 2016
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Irakleio / Municipality: Irakleio / Closest settlement: Ano Asites
  • Spilaio Thergiospilios, Schmalfuss et al. 2004, Beron 2016
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Lasithi / Municipality: Ierapetra / Closest settlement: Kavousi
  • Spilaio Megalo Katofygi, Vandel 1958, Schmalfuss 1972b, Schmalfuss 1979, Schmalfuss et al. 2004, Beron 2016, Dimitriou & Sfenthourakis 2022
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Lasithi / Municipality: Siteia / Closest settlement: Agios Georgios
  • Spilaio Apoloustres, Schmalfuss et al. 2004, Beron 2016
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Lasithi / Municipality: Siteia / Closest settlement: Pefkoi
Comments

Only known from caves in eastern Crete.

IUCN Red List
NE - Not Evaluated
Greece's Red Data Book
NE - Not Evaluated
Protection status
  • There is no species-specific legal framework for protection.
Check Databases
Fauna Europea
GBIF
PESI
Species references
  • Beron, P. 2016. Faune cavernicole de la Grèce. Maison d'édition Est-West., Sofia. pp. 229.
  • Dimitriou CA , Sfenthourakis S. 2022. An all-inclusive approach: A universal protocol for the successful amplification of four genetic loci of all Onscidea. MethodsX (2022), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2022.101762
  • Schmalfuss, H. 1972. Die Isopoden von Kreta. Biol. gallo-hellen., 4 (1): 33-60.
  • Schmalfuss, H. 1979. Revidierte Check-List der Landisopoden (Oniscoidea) Griechenlands. Stuttgart. Beitr. Naturk. Ser. A. (Biol.), 331: 1-42.
  • Schmalfuss, H., Paragamian, K. & Sfenthourakis, S. 2004. The terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea) of Crete and the surrounding islands. Stuttgart. Beitr. Naturk. Ser. A. (Biol.), 662: 1-74.
  • Vandel, A. 1958. Isopodes récoltés dans les grottes de la Crète par le Docteur K. Lindberg. Notes biospeol., 12 (2): 81-101.
Citation
Paragamian, K. 2026. Platanosphaera cavernarum (Vandel, 1958). In Paragamian, K., M. Poulinakis, S. Paragamian and I. Nikoloudakis. Cave fauna of Greece database - Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research. Species data updated 23.06.2022, Accessed 02.05.2026