What is a woodlouse in biology?

What is a woodlouse in biology?

A woodlouse (plural woodlice) (also known as pill bug) is a crustacean from the monophyletic suborder Oniscidea within the isopods. They get their name from often being found in old wood. Woodlice. Temporal range: Early Cretaceous–present, Probable Carboniferous origin.

What is a woodlouse habitat?

Woodlice are herbivores, meaning they eat plants. Where do Woodlouses live? These creatures live in a moist, dark habitat such as in a compost pile, a rotting stump, under wet leaves, or in the soil in a garden.

What is a woodlouse role in the ecosystem?

Woodlice feed on dead organic matter: fallen leaves, soft bark, dead roots, mushrooms and potatoes that have been left in the ground, as well as cadavers. In fact they will even eat the bodies of other, dead woodlice if it comes to that. Acting as ‘garbage collectors’ to the soil, they serve an important purpose.

How are woodlice crustaceans?

Woodlice are also known as slaters, sow bugs, or pill bugs. They are relatives of prawns and crabs, and are known as crustaceans. They have segmented bodies and a hard outer layer. While most crustaceans live in water, woodlice live on land but breathe through gills like fish.

What is the scientific name for a woodlouse?

OniscideaWoodlouse / Scientific name

What are woodlice called?

Bibble-bug, chisel-hog, palmer-worm, monkey-pea, chuggy-pig, roly-poly, Johnny-grump and slater: these are just a handful of the extraordinary number of nicknames garnered over the centuries by a diminutive crustacean that attracts scant regard or affection today.

How is woodlouse adapted to its environment?

Animals such as woodlice maintain the water balance of their bodies using behavioural adaptations. A behavioural adaptation is an action an animal takes that increases its chances of survival. Woodlice move faster in dry areas, and more slowly in humid environments.

What type of creature is a woodlouse?

crustaceans
Though they look like millipedes, woodlice are actually crustaceans, related to shrimps and crabs. This makes woodlice some of the few truly land-living crustaceans (most have to return to the water to breed). Like their aquatic relatives they do not have a waxy body covering so they easily dry out.

Are woodlice decomposers?

There are many invertebrate decomposers, the most common are worms, flies, millipedes, and sow bugs (woodlice).

How do woodlice adapt to their environment?

Why is a woodlouse a crustacean?

Though they look like millipedes, woodlice are actually crustaceans, related to shrimps and crabs. This makes woodlice some of the few truly land-living crustaceans (most have to return to the water to breed). Like their aquatic relatives they do not have a waxy body covering so they easily dry out.

What classification is a woodlice?

MalacostracansWoodlouse / Class

What do we know about woodlice?

Woodlice are widely studied in the contexts of evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology and nutrient cycling. They are popular as terrarium pets because of their varied colour and texture forms, conglobating ability and ease of care.

What are woodlice and what are their predators?

Woodlice also have some specific predators, such as Dysderus species of spider and some parasitic flies. Woodlice and landhoppers are scavengers that feed on dead plant material and other organic detritus. In this way, they help to recycle the nutrients contained in the dead plant material and are a very useful part of the garden ecosystem.

What is the difference between woodlice and pill millipedes?

Pill millipedes can be distinguished from woodlice on the basis of having two pairs of legs per body segment instead of one pair like all isopods. Pill millipedes have twelve to thirteen body segments and about eighteen pairs of legs, whereas woodlice have eleven segments and only seven pairs of legs.

What is the relationship between woodlice and other crustaceans?

The relationship of woodlice to the other crustaceans is shown by the fact that the female carries her eggs around in a special brood pouch, and that they breathe by gills, which are in the form of thin-skinned appendages on the legs. Woodlice have to live in damp places for the gills can only function if they are kept damp.