Interesting facts about wood lice: lifestyle and species of these crustaceans

Many millions of years ago, various exotic creatures inhabited the earth. Many of them became extinct, while others underwent changes during evolution, became a reduced copy of prehistoric animals.

Wood lice may be a descendant of the fossil trilobite. Most often we call woodlice insects, but this is not true.

In the article, we will look at what this type of arthropod looks like, what type, class, order it belongs to and what lifestyle it leads to, where it lives and what it eats.

Lifestyle

In the world there are more than 3000 different species of wood lice. They live:

• in dark and humid places;
• in the forests and jungle;
• can hide in the walls;
• under the stones;
• in compost heaps.

The animals in question are crustaceans, mainly leading a land-based lifestyle. Some species, such as the usual marine slater, are found only on the coast. There are species that live in water, but many have long moved to land, but breathe with gills. American scientists recently discovered a 75-cm-long sea lice in the Gulf of Mexico.

It is usually gray or brown, but the exact color and size depends on the species and habitat. In addition to the polar regions and arid deserts, wood lice are found in almost all corners of the world. Lead a nocturnal lifestyle. You can learn more about different species of wood lice and their habitat here.

They are herbivores and therefore feed only on organic plant substances. Rarely eat living plants, eat rotting leaves and plant material found on forest litter: fallen leaves, rotting wood and fruits that fall from trees. You will find more information on how woodlice eat and whether they can be poisoned, see this material.

Even their own feces eat, but do not urinate. They completely get rid of their waste products. A strong-smelling chemical called ammonia is produced that passes through their shells like gas. But it happens that they harm living plants by eating their roots and shoots (you can find out how much harm woodlice can cause to humans, animals and plants here).

Due to its small size, many animals hunt for wood lice:

• toads;
• lizards;
• spiders
• some nocturnal birds;
• hedgehogs;
• sometimes wasps.

Woodlice breed fast. The female lays about 24 eggs that she holds in her brood bag. Usually everyone survives. The eggs hatch after an incubation period of just a few days. But the female leaves a supply of seed and after the release of the first eggs, the process of fertilization is repeated. Due to the fact that a young woodlice needs several months to fully develop, a woodlice mother remains with it until they become adults.

Woodlice, who settle next to people in houses, basements, can eat mold, food debris. They also eat small spiders, bugs, ants, cockroaches, and other insects we do not like. Better protect the house from insects than chemicals. They are one of the most important groups of organisms that determine the dynamics of the soil.

What type, class, unit does it belong to?

Often interested: is it an insect or not? Woodlice are a type of arthropod, a class of crustaceans, suborder isopod crustaceans. Their body length is up to 18 mm, width - 6-10 mm, but individuals are larger. The shape is ovoid, oblate. The armor is waterproof, provides body protection, the dorsal part consists of 7 elements, and the deflector consists of 6 elements.

The body consists of seven segments, on which there are seven pairs of stepping legs, poorly visible from under the armor. The tentacles are small, consisting of 3 elements, the eyes are on the sides of the body. On a small head, fused with the first segment of the trunk, millipedes have one pair of eyes.

In males, the second pair of back legs can turn into dome-shaped organs. Adults molt all their lives, which allows them to constantly grow. The process of molting in adult arthropods takes place in two stages. In the first - the back of the body, and then the bridge (head and first four segments of the body).

There are many varieties of these crustaceans:

• armadillo (body length 15 mm);
• centipede;
• silverfish;
• armadillo;
• sea.

You can learn more about the different species of wood lice that exist in nature, and see how they look in the photo here.

Is arthropod, insect or crustacean? It is often mistakenly thought that these animals belong to arachnid arthropods. or to insects. The animals in question are representatives of mollusks, belong to the series Isopoda (wood lice), commonly called centipedes (Oniscoidea), although they have so many legs. They belong to arthropod crustaceans.

In conclusion, it should be said that wood lice are not pests. If they settle in the house, then this only indicates that there is increased humidity in this place. Therefore, first of all, you should deal with the causes of the appearance of wood lice. It is also worth remembering that centipedes are not dangerous, and unlike flies or cockroaches, they do not carry bacteria dangerous for us.

Watch the video: 11 Most Bizarre Crustaceans (October 2024).