Trichoniscus cavernicola Vandel, 1958

Higher Taxonomy
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Isopoda
Family: Trichoniscidae
Genus: Trichoniscus
Characterisation
Troglobiont
Distribution
Endemic to Greece
Locus Typicus
Spilaio Peristera
Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Lasithi / Municipality: Agios Nikolaos / Closest settlement: Vrachasi
Distribution in caves of Greece
  • Spilaio Schista, Schmalfuss et al. 2004, Beron 2016
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Irakleio / Municipality: Chersonisos / Closest settlement: Kalo Chorio
  • Spilaio Atsiganospilios, Schmalfuss et al. 2004, Beron 2016
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Lasithi / Municipality: Agios Nikolaos / Closest settlement: Adrianou
  • Spilaio Gaidourotrypa, Schmalfuss et al. 2004, Beron 2016
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Lasithi / Municipality: Agios Nikolaos / Closest settlement: Kritsa
  • Spilaio Milatou, Schmalfuss et al. 2004, Beron 2016
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Lasithi / Municipality: Agios Nikolaos / Closest settlement: Milatos
  • Spilaio Peristera, Vandel 1958, Schmalfuss 1979, Schmalfuss et al. 2004
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Lasithi / Municipality: Agios Nikolaos / Closest settlement: Vrachasi
  • Varathro Xepatomeni Latsida, Dimitriou & Sfenthourakis 2022
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Lasithi / Municipality: Oropedio Lasithiou / Closest settlement: Lagou
  • Spilaio Diktaio Antro, Paragamian 1994, Beron 2016
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Lasithi / Municipality: Oropedio Lasithiou / Closest settlement: Psychro
  • Spilaio Trapeza, Schmalfuss 1979, Schmalfuss et al. 2004, Beron 2016
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Lasithi / Municipality: Oropedio Lasithiou / Closest settlement: Tzermiado
  • Spilaio Megalo Katofygi, Vandel 1958, Schmalfuss 1979, Schmalfuss et al. 2004, Beron 2016
    Region: Kriti / Regional unit: Lasithi / Municipality: Siteia / Closest settlement: Agios Georgios
  • Spilaio Za, Andreev 1986, Beron 2016
    Region: Notio Aigaio / Regional unit: Naxos / Municipality: Naxos & Mikres Kyklades / Closest settlement: Filoti
  • Spilaio Agiou Ioanni, Andreev 1986, Beron 2016
    Region: Notio Aigaio / Regional unit: Naxos / Municipality: Naxos & Mikres Kyklades / Closest settlement: Irakleia
Comments

Known only from caves in Crete and the Aegean islands Naxos and Irakleia. Inadvertently reported from the islands of Tilos and Rodos (Schmalfuss et al. 2004) as the specimen SMNS 1992 (leg. Liebegott 23.V.1983) from Tilos island was previously reported as   Schizidium hyhridum  (Schmalfuss, 1988) and the specimens from Rodos island (SMNS 1148 & 1151, leg. Schawaller 9.IV.1980) as Chaetophiloscia cellaria (Schmalfuss, 1990). Never the less there are possible synonymies between T. lindbergi, T. cavernicola, and T. intermedius and the taxonomy of the group-species needs further investigation (Schmalfuss et al. 2004).

IUCN Red List
LC - Least Concern
Greece's Red Data Book
LC - Least Concern
Protection status
  • There is no species-specific legal framework for protection.
Check Databases
Fauna Europea
GBIF
IUCN Red List
PESI
Species references
  • Andreev, S. 1986. Contribution a l΄ étude des isopodes terrestres de la Grèce 3. Sur trois nouvelles donnes sur les Isopodes des Genres Cordioniscus, Alpioniscus et Trichoniscus et nouvelles donnes sur les Isopodes terr. (Oniscoidea). Biol. gallo-hellen., 11 (2): 153-164.
  • 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
  • Paragamian, K. 1994. Extremities in touristic exploitation of caves: the case of “Psychron cave” (Psychron, Crete, Greece). Bull. Soc. Speleol. Grèce, 21: 232-242.
  • 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. Trichoniscus cavernicola 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 17.11.2025, Accessed 08.02.2026