#627 - Talitrid Amphipods - Lawn Prawns
One of our local crustaceans. Not something I get many complaints about, because the only way they’ll survive in a house is if there’s a major moisture problem. Most amphipods can’t survive out of water, but the Talitrid sandhoppers on the beach and landhoppers even further inland can be fully terrestrial.
Terrestrial amphipods are quite diverse in Australia, usually living in leaf litter. The ones you’re most likely to find in your garden are translucent dark drown when alive, but turn pink-red after they die, like the ones in the photo above. Rarely above a centimeter in length.