Eluma purpurascens, nieuw voor de Nederlandse fauna (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscoidea)

Eluma purpurascens, new for the Dutch fauna (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscoidea). The first Dutch specimen of Eluma purpurascens was found on 29 April 1994 on the Kaloot, east of Vlissingen, in the south-western province of Zeeland. One year later the species proved to be locally common along the southern coast of the Oosterschelde and three years later several hundreds mature and immature specimens were found along the southern coast of the Westerschelde and along the coast of the North Sea. So far, the species has not been found on the isle of Schouwen-Duiveland. It seems to be almost absent inland although not all sites where this species might occur have yet been visited. In this paper the morphology of Eluma purpurascens is illustrated, and some notes on taxonomy, behaviour, and habitats are given. With this species the number of terrestrial isopods of the Netherlands has risen to 37.