Pretty sure I’ve never heard of lawn prawns but apparently they are going to have a big summer.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-27/queensland-worst-termites-pests-la-nina-summer-rain/101575036

Though not a nuisance, more and more Queenslanders are becoming acquainted with “lawn prawns”.

“There were a few more last year, and with the continued wet weather there are going to be even more around this year,” Mr Shill said.

Lawn prawns are, actually, a type of tiny prawn that lives on land.

“They live underneath debris and deadfall garden, so fallen leaves and the like, and when that becomes sodden they seek out dry places.”

So in the past they were there in people’s yards but hidden, but increasingly now they are being found on paths, cement areas and even inside houses.

——

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcitalitrus_sylvaticus

dv said:

Pretty sure I’ve never heard of lawn prawns but apparently they are going to have a big summer.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-27/queensland-worst-termites-pests-la-nina-summer-rain/101575036

Though not a nuisance, more and more Queenslanders are becoming acquainted with “lawn prawns”.

“There were a few more last year, and with the continued wet weather there are going to be even more around this year,” Mr Shill said.

Lawn prawns are, actually, a type of tiny prawn that lives on land.

“They live underneath debris and deadfall garden, so fallen leaves and the like, and when that becomes sodden they seek out dry places.”

So in the past they were there in people’s yards but hidden, but increasingly now they are being found on paths, cement areas and even inside houses.

——

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcitalitrus_sylvaticus

Is this the same as what I call a beach-hopper?
Lives under seaweed on the beach and scatters all over the place if the seaweed is disturbed.
It looks the same.

It is an amphipod. Is yours?

Michael V said:

It is an amphipod. Is yours?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphipoda

Sandhoppers and landhoppers:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talitridae

Michael V said:

Michael V said:

It is an amphipod. Is yours?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphipoda

Sandhoppers and landhoppers:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talitridae

Thank you. Yes, an amphipod, I think.
Eats dying seaweed. Very common on some beaches that I used to visit, at least 30 per square metre, possibly 200.
And with houses near the beach I can well imagine them, turning up inside those houses.

But I don’t remember now which parts of Australia I saw them :-(
East coast for sure, but I can’t pin it down more than that.

Apologies. I should have called them sandhoppers, not beach-hoppers.

Atlas of living Australia records amphipods living everywhere.

Amphipod records Melbourne to Sydney.

Now looking specifically for Arcitalitrus genus in the Atlas of living Australia.
Far fewer records than Amphipods in general.
Only recorded from SE Australia

As opposed to Amphipods in general which are even recorded from all of Australia including Cairns, Darwin, the Pilbara, Perth, Adelaide and south of Lake Eyre.

Arcitalitrus map