Porcellio aff. laevis
| Porcellio aff. laevis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Superclass: | Multicrustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Subclass: | Eumalacostraca |
| Superorder: | Peracarida |
| Order: | Isopoda |
| Superorder: | Peracarida |
| Parorder: | Orthogonopoda |
| Zoosection: | Crinocheta |
| Family: | Porcellionidae |
| Genus: | Porcellio |
| Species: | aff. laevis |
| Binomial name | |
| Porcellio aff. laevis | |
Taxonomy[edit | edit source]
Despite being one of the most popular species currently in the hobby, their origins and taxonomic resolution remain unclear. Some claim the group originated from the European Union; however, this appears to be a relatively new assertion, as many senior hobbyists suggest they were introduced from Japan. Both theories harbor little conclusive information. Taxonomically, the "Dairy Cow group," which consists of the Dairy Cow, Milk Back, and White Out morphs, has been considered, until recently, true Porcellio laevis (sensu stricto). In 2024, it became popularized that Dairy Cow could not cross with other true Porcellio laevis morphs, hinting at the possibility of prezygotic barriers. However, it was only in late 2023 that specimens of Dairy Cow and Milk Back were found to differ morphologically from Porcellio laevis sensu stricto. The designation of aff., short for species affinis, denotes that the "specimen" is an undescribed species that has an affinity to but is not identical to, the named species. cf., which is short for the Latin word confer; "compare with," differs from the above designation as it denotes uncertainty in identification.