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Species
Porcellio scaber Latreille, 1804
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Porcellio scaber (otherwise known as the common rough woodlouse or simply rough woodlouse), is a species of European woodlouse.
Distribution[edit]
Porcellio scaber is found across Central and Western Europe.[2] In the United Kingdom, it is one of the "big five" species of woodlouse. It has also colonised North America, South Africa and other areas, largely through human activity.[3] It is also the most common species of woodlouse found in Australian gardens.[4]
Description[edit]
P. scaber can grow up to 20mm long, and is usually a grey colour, paler underneath, although brown, blue, yellow or pinkish hues may also be observed. It lives in a wide variety of habitats which contain reasonable levels of humidity, but it is less dependent on water than Oniscus asellus.[5]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Porcellio scaber. |
- ^ "Porcellio scaber". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- ^ "Porcellio scaber". 2.6.1. Fauna Europaea. May 24, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
- ^ Slabber, S. & S.L. Chown (2002). "The first record of a terrestrial crustacean, Porcellio scaber (Isopoda, Porcellionidae), from sub-Antarctic Marion Island". Polar Biology 25: 855–858. doi:10.1007/s00300-002-0420-9.
- ^ "Crustaceans at the bottom of the garden!". Museum of Victoria. Retrieved 2011-07-10.
- ^ "Porcellio scaber - a woodlouse". Natural England. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
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Common rough woodlice are considered native to mainland Europe. This species has spread throughout the world, including onto isolated islands such as Hawaii and Marion Island (located between Africa and Antarctica) and is found on every continent, not including Antarctica. Their dispersal has been facilitated by humans, as they can easily be transported via leaf matter and wood. They prefer temperate climates.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Introduced ); palearctic (Native ); oriental (Introduced ); ethiopian (Introduced ); neotropical (Introduced ); australian (Introduced ); oceanic islands (Introduced )
Other Geographic Terms: cosmopolitan
- 2003. Isopoda. Pp. 249-258 in M Hutchins, S Craig, N Thorey, eds. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, 2 Edition. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group.
- 2009. "Pocellio scaber (crustacean)" (On-line). Global Invasive Species Database. Accessed February 24, 2012 at http://issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=1460&fr=1&sts=&lang=EN.
- McGavin, G. 2000. Insects, Spiders and other Terrestrial Arthropods. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited.
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Common rough woodlice are ectothermic and have flat, elliptical-shaped bodies that are heavily plated and typically grey or deep blue, though orange and albino specimens have also been seen. They can grow up to 17 mm in length and, like other arthropods, their bodies are segmented and bilaterally symmetrical. They have seven body segements, each with a pair of legs, and their bodies are divided into three sections: head, pereion (thorax), and pleon (abdomen), and their heads are divided into three lobes. Their two pleopodia (appendages under their pleons), have pseudotrachia, allowing for respiration through their pseudolungs. These pseudolungs appear as white patches on the abdomen, and they are unable to be closed to prevent water loss. Weight varies depending on water content, which can fluctuate greatly. These isopods have a warty body surface with two short tails (uropodia) on their final body segments (telsons). They have compound eyes and two pairs of antennae, a shorter pair which are thought to act as chemoreceptors and a longer pair which have sensory hair-like structures (setae). The antennae are often orange in color at their bases. Common rough woodlice can not roll into a ball for defense as many closely related species can. This species is sexually dimorphic, with females (and juveniles) mottled and lighter in color. Females have a brood pouch in which they carry developing young, while males have a genital projection located near their pleopodia.
Average length: 17 mm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes colored or patterned differently
- The President and Fellows of Harvard College. 2013. "Common rough woodlouse" (On-line). Boston Harbor Islands@Harvard University. Accessed January 31, 2013 at http://insects.oeb.harvard.edu/boston_islands/bugmonth/0811_cmn_rgh_wdls.htm.
- Gunn, D. 1937. The Humidity Reactions of the Woodlouse; Porcellio scaber (Latreille). The Journal of Experimental Biology, 14: 178-186. Accessed January 31, 2013 at http://jeb.biologists.org/content/14/2/178.full.pdf+html.
- Kaufman, K., E. Eaton. 2007. Kaufman Field Guide to insects of North America. New York, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin Company.
- Minor, M. 2011. "Guide to New Zealand Soil Invertebrates" (On-line). Isopoda. Accessed February 24, 2012 at http://soilbugs.massey.ac.nz/isopoda.php.
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Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Porcellio_scaber/ |
Because they do not have a waxy cuticle covering their exoskeletons, common rough woodlice prefer moist, dark areas where it is possible to avoid dessication. They live under leaf litter, rocks, and fallen logs in forests, meadows, and gardens, and are frequently found in splash zones, dunes and salt marshes. Although they are most often found in leaf litter, they are often found on tree bark as well, particularly during the summer.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland ; forest
Wetlands: marsh
Other Habitat Features: urban ; agricultural
- Harding, P., S. Sutton. 1985. Woodlice in Britain and Ireland: Distribution and Habitat. Great Britain: Lavenham Press. Accessed January 31, 2013 at http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/5276/1/Woodlice.pdf.
- McKenzie, G. 1997. "Woodlice Online" (On-line). Accessed January 31, 2013 at http://www.porcellio.scaber.org/woodlice/expback.htm.
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Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Porcellio_scaber/ |
Common rough woodlice are detritivorous, saprophagous (including carrion), mycophagous, and coprophagous. They prefer decaying organic matter because of the higher population of microbes within this material. Common rough woodlice consume their own feces in order to increase copper stores (necessary as their blood contains haemocyanin) and to retain bacteria that are able to break down nutrients that are not easily absorbed otherwise. These bacteria are a significant part of their diets. These woodlice also have endosymbiotic bacteria (Candidatus Rhabdochlamydia porcellionis) living in the hepatopancreas, which help with cellulose digestion.
Animal Foods: carrion
Plant Foods: leaves; roots and tubers; wood, bark, or stems; fruit
Other Foods: fungus; detritus ; dung; microbes
Primary Diet: carnivore (Scavenger ); herbivore (Folivore , Frugivore ); omnivore ; mycophage ; detritivore ; coprophage
- Kostanjsek, R., J. Strus, D. Drobne, G. Avgustin. 2004. 'Candidatus Rhabdochlamydia porcellionis', an intracellular bacterium from the hepatopancreas of the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber (Crustacea: Isopoda). International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 54: 543-549.
- Zimmer, M., T. Werner. 1998. Microorganisms and Cellulose Digestion in the Gut of the Woodlouse Porcellio scaber. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 24: 1397-1408.
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Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Porcellio_scaber/ |
Common rough woodlice are detritivores that help with the degradation of organic matter, such as decaying leaves and wood. In its native regions, this works to quickly return nutrients to the soil. In some areas with a slower degradation process, introduced woodlice significantly affect indigenous flora and fauna.
Melanophora roralis are parasitic flies that lay eggs on common rough woodlice, killing their hosts during their pupation. Other parasites include spiny headed worms and nematodes. Common rough woodlice also host intracellular parasitic bacteria in their guts.
Woodlice are susceptible to Iridovirus (IIV) Type 31, which creates crystalline structures in the host's tissues, lending them a blue color, and leading to death in extreme infections. This species may also become infected by Wolbachia, a bacteria that affects hormone production in males.
Common rough woodlice also have endosymbiotic bacteria that help them to digest plant matter living in their hepatopancreas.
Ecosystem Impact: biodegradation
Mutualist Species:
- Candidatus Rhabdochlamydia porcellionis (Phylum Chlamydiae, Domain Bacteria)
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
- Melanophora roralis (Family Rhinophoridae, Order Diptera)
- Plagiorhynchus cylindraceus (Class Palaeacanthocephala, Phylum Acanthocephala)
- Chlamydia isopodii sp. (Phylum Chlamydiae, Domain Bacteria)
- Capillaria annulata (Family Trichinellidae, Phylum Nematoda)
- Thaumamermis cosgrovei (Family Mermithidae, Phylum Nematoda)
- Wolbachia sp. (Family Rickettsiaceae, Phylum Proteobacteria)
- Iridovirus (Family Iridoviridae)
- Beaudette, F. 1930. Hints to Poultrymen, Volume 18, Number 10: Miscellaneous Parasites. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University. Accessed January 31, 2013 at http://books.google.com/books?id=o0VPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PT619&lpg=PT623&ots=q4EmCPBTjR&dq=parasite+porcellio+scaber.
- Cole, A., T. Morris. 1980. A new iridovirus of two species of terrestrial isopods, Armadillidium vulgare and Porcellio scaber. Intervirology, 14/1: 21-30. Accessed February 01, 2013 at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7203967.
- Cordaux, R., A. Michel-Salzat, D. Bouchon. 2001. Wolbachia infection in crustaceans: novel hosts and potential routes for horizontal transmission. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 14: 237-243. Accessed February 01, 2013 at http://rcordaux.voila.net/pdfs/01.pdf.
- Hess, R., G. Poinar, Jr.. 1985. Iridoviruses Infecting Terrestrial Isopods and Nematodes. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, 116: 49-76. Accessed February 01, 2013 at http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-642-70280-8_4.
- Levri, E., B. Coppola. 2004. First report of the acanthocephalan Plagiorhynchus cylindraceus in the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber. Comparative Parasitology, 71: 90-91.
- Sassaman, C., R. Garthwaite. 1984. The interaction between the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber Latreille and one of its Dipteran parasites, Melanophora roralis (L.) (Rhinophoridae). Journal of Crustacean Biology, 4: 595-603.
- Shay, M., A. Bettica, G. Vernon, E. Witkus. 1985. Chlamydia isopodii sp. n., an obligate intracellular parasite of Porcellio scaber. Experimental Cell Biology, 53/2: 115-120. Accessed January 31, 2013 at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3979656.
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These woodlice protect themselves from predation by hiding under wood, rocks, leaves and other detritus. Their bodies are also heavily plated. They also excrete nitrogenous waste in the form of ammonia gas instead of urine, which may help to ward off would-be predators. Nevertheless, common rough woodlice have a number of natural predators such as spiders (including Dysdera crocata, known as woodlouse hunters, which feed exclusively on them), small mammals (such as shrews), birds, centipedes, harvestmen, and ground beetles.
Known Predators:
- Woodlouse hunter Dysdera crocata
- Wolf spider (Lycosidae sp.)
- Steatoda sp. (Family Theridiidae, Order Aranae)
- Shrews
- Birds
- Centipedes
- Harvestmen
- Ground beetles
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
- Carbines, G., R. Dennis, R. Jackson. 1992. Increased turn alternation by woodlice (Porcellio scaber) in response to predatory spider, Dysdera crocata. Internation Journal of Comparative Psychology, 5/3: 138-144. Accessed March 23, 2012 at http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/2t8495g5.
- Hopkin, S., G. Hardisty, M. Martin. 1986. The Woodlouse Porcellio scaber as a 'Biological Indicator' of Zinc, Cadmium, Lead and Copper Pollution. Environmental Pollution (Series B), 11: 271-290. Accessed January 31, 2013 at http://www.stevehopkin.co.uk/publications/1986_envpollut_11b_271-290.pdf.
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These woodlice have long antennae with setae, which sense movement, and shorter antennae which may function as chemoreceptors. They also sense their environments through touch, as evidenced by their thigmokinetic behavior, which causes reduced movement when in physical contact with other objects. Common rough woodlice may use pheromones, either released by feces or produced separately, to find others of their species in order to create aggregations. They have two compound eyes that can sense light and dark.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: pheromones
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; chemical
- Breithaupt, T., M. Thiel. 2011. Chemical Communication in Crustaceans. London: Springer.
- Broly, P., R. Mullier, J. Deneubourg, C. Devigne. 2012. Aggregation in woodlice: social interaction and density effects. ZooKeys, 176: 133-144. Accessed January 31, 2013 at http://www.pensoft.net/journals/zookeys/article/2258/.
- Nemanic, P. 1975. Fine structure of the compound eye of Porcellio scaber in light and dark adaption. Tissue Cell, 7: 453-468.
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This species undergoes direct development with 15-20 recognized stages, beginning with fertilization. These stages occur through a series of molts and are differentiated by morphological changes or development of organs. Eggs are carried in the female's fluid-filled brood pouch where they hatch; after hatching, they are referred to as mancae. There are two manca stages that take place within the pouch and two that occur outside of the pouch. Mancae are soft, white, and have only six pairs of legs; the seventh pair develops after their first molt. The development of the seventh pair of legs occurs outside of the pouch and, after this, the mancae are considered juveniles. Juveniles are similar in appearance to adult wood like.
- Wolff, C. 2009. The embryonic development of the malactrocan crustacean Porcellio scaber (Isopoda, Oniscidea). Development Genes and Evolution, 219: 545-564.
- Zimmer, M. 2002. Nutrition in terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea): an evolutionary-ecological approach. Biological Reviews, 77: 455-493.
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Although there is little information regarding lifespan for common rough woodlice specifically, terrestrial isopods live between 1-5 years on average. It has been suggested that this species typically lives 2-3 years, though up to 90% die within a month of emerging from their brooding pouches.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 1 to 30 months.
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